From John Adams, Minna
Barely a week after some members of the Niger State Executive Council purchased the Senate nomination form for Governor Sani Bello to run for the Niger North senatorial seat, stakeholders from the eight Local Government Areas of the zone have endorsed the serving senator, Alhaji Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, for a third term.
The stakeholders who comprise all the party leaders in the zone gave the endorsement after passing a vote of confidence in the leadership provided by Senator Abdullahi in both the 8th and 9th assembly, describing him as “the senator of the People”.
The endorsement of the Senate Deputy Chief Whip was followed by the purchase of the N20 million nomination form of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by the stakeholders which was handed over to him at the Senate wing of the National Assembly on Thursday in Abuja.
The stakeholders, who were led by a leader of the party from the zone, who also doubles as Director-General of Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi Campaign Organisation, Mallam Muhammad Danladi, presented the nomination form to the senator in a brief ceremony at the National Assembly, Abuja on Thursday.
Speaking shortly after presenting the form to the senator, Mallam Danladi acknowledged the contribution of Senator Abdullahi to the progress of the senatorial district, saying that Senator Abdullahi has changed the narrative of Niger North Senatorial district positively within the last seven years of his representation.
While justifying Senator Abdullahi’s endorsement by the people, and the need for other Aspirants to drop their ambition, Mallam Danladi pointed out that ‘Sabi’s responsive and quality representation in the Senate within the last seven years have transformed Niger North Senatorial district and tremendously improved the welfare of the constituents.
‘All the leaders of the 87 wards from the eight Local Government Areas in the senatorial district are here to formally tell you to continue your responsive and quality representation of them in the Senate,’ he said.
‘You did excellently well during the 8th Senate and also repeating the feat in the about to end 9th Senate, the reason why the largest percentage of constituents from the zone, want you to continue your good work in the 10th National Assembly.
‘As a practical demonstration of our support for you to run again for the Niger North senatorial district, the N20 million nomination form has been procured for you from the National headquarters of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
‘Niger North people are behind you and you must run, failure of which may result in litigation against you,’ he said.
In their separate submissions, leaders from all eight local government councils of the zone urged the sitting senator not to succumb to any threat from any quarter, but to be prepared to run for a third term.
In his response, Senator Abdullahi thanked his constituents for the unprecedented support given him and declared his acceptance of their request.
He said apart from the Federal University of Education, Kotangora, which he facilitated through sponsorship of a bill to that effect, all the eight eight local government councils within the senatorial district have been touched in one way or the other in terms of required Infrastructure.
‘To me, if politics is not beneficial to the people, it is useless. My representation of Niger North Senatorial District in the Senate, will surely continue to be beneficial to the entire people of the zone,’ he said.