Mailantarki emerges Gombe NNPP guber candidate unopposed

Gumau picks party’s ticket for Bauchi South

About 342 delegates across 11 local councils of Gombe State, yesterday, elected Khamisu Mailantarki as the governorship candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Mailantarki was picked unopposed by voice votes.

In his acceptance speech, the governorship hopeful described the process as the freest in the history of the state, adding that the delegates are the wisest politicians in Gombe for reposing confidence and hope in him.

He, however, listed agriculture, traditional institutions, business communities, women empowerment and youth emancipation through sports as his priorities if voted into office next year.

“I believe it will spur me to wrest power from the incumbent. We must collectively get Gombe out of the woods in 2023.

“It is no longer a news that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) have failed us in Nigeria, their anomalies we are poised to correct and give enduring hope to our people,” he said. Also, other aspirants to the National Assembly and House of Assembly were cleared through voice votes.

MEANWHILE, Senator Lawal Gumau (Bauchi South) has emerged the party’s candidate for the seat he is occupying in the National Assembly. Gumau, who was elected senator in 2018 under APC, could not secure his return ticket with the party; hence, he defected to NNPP last week. He lamented that the party he laboured hard for left him stranded.

While announcing the result of the election, the Returning Officer (RO) and Secretary, Senatorial Primary Election Committee, Kabir Hassan, said Gumau polled 230 of the 231 votes cast, while his rival, Shehu Kabir, got zero votes.

Hassan said all the 231 delegates in the seven local councils that constituted the district were accredited, adding that there was only one void vote.
NAN also reports that Musa Maijama’a, who was also a senatorial aspirant under NNPP, announced his withdrawal few hours to the conduct of the primary on Sunday.

Maijama’a declared that he stepped down for Gumau, considering his experience, having represented the area in the last six years. When contacted, Abdullahi, said he was not aware of any primary, arguing that the party had already given him automatic ticket to contest Bauchi South senatorial seat.