Emotions went wild recently in Niger State as two leading governorship candidates in the state – Governor Abubakar Bello of the All Progressives Congress and Alhaji Umar Nasko of the Peoples Democratic Party – intensified their campaigns across the state.
Governor Bello commenced his re-election campaign in the three senatorial districts of the state two days after President Muhammadu Buhari embarked on his re-election campaign in Minna, the Niger State capital.
The President had urged the crowd at the campaign rally to vote for all candidates of the ruling APC “from top to bottom” in the general election with a promise to rehabilitate all Federal Government roads in the state that were due for repairs if re-elected to office in the February 16 presidential poll.
However, Buhari’s call on the people of the state to re-elect Governor Bello was greeted with shouts of ‘Sai munyi shawarra’ meaning in Hausa Language “we have to consult with ourselves before voting”.
Bello’s main rival in the governorship race, Nasko of the PDP, appears to be gaining grounds in his campaign.
Recall that Nasko had contested the governorship seat under the PDP in 2015 but lost to Bello.
The PDP governorship aspirant is currently crisscrossing the 274 wards in the three senatorial zones, soliciting for votes in the coming general election.
During his campaign at Lapai and Katcha local government areas, Governor Bello admonished the people of the state to shun all acts of violence for a free and fair general election in February and March.
He pointed out that elections in the state should not be a ‘do or die’ affair but should be taken as a game where somebody must win, while others were seen as co-contenders.
He charged the youth in the state to channel their energy towards meaningful ventures rather than allow themselves to be used as political thugs to cause mayhem.
The governor also urged the electorate to re-elect him in order to enable him build on his current achievements.
