By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released 49 names of governorship candidates for the 2019 elections in Sokoto state with the name of incumbent Governor Aminu Tambuwal missing from the list.
According to the list displayed at INEC office in the state, the name of former Commissioner for at the Ministry for Local Government and Community Development, Alhaji Manir Dan’iya who was returned as sole candidate after polling 2,175 votes at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries, is displayed on the list as the party’s governorship candidate.
The National headquarters of the PDP had, shortly after the National Convention, which saw Senate President Bukola Saraki, Aminu Tambuwal and Rabiu Kwankwaso losing out to Atiku Abubakar, stated that it had rewarded them with return tickets in their present positions.
With the announcement, it was perceived that the positions of Sokoto governorship, Kwara Central and Kano Central had already been returned to the trio.
However, Newsdiaryonline.com investigations revealed that Tambuwal’s name was not on INEC list of parties’ governorship candidates because he did not partake in the primaries that produced governorship candidates of parties, particularly that of the PDP.
“The list of governorship candidates displayed here are those who partook in the parties’ primaries. INEC cannot display name of any person who did not take part in the primaries. That is the situation here. However, parties have up to December to make substitution of names of their candidates,” a source at INEC who did not want to be quoted told Newsdiaryonline.com.
Responding to Newsdiaryonline.com, the PDP Sokoto state Secretary, Alhaji Kabiru Aliyu in a telephone enquiry said Tambuwal’s name cannot be on INEC’s list because he did not take part in the party primary. “However, according to INEC timetable, we still have time within which the party could make substitution.”
