- Safiu Kehinde
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has secured his return ticket for a second term in office after emerging as the consensus candidate at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Primary Election.
Radda was, at the primaries held on Thursday in Katsina declared the consensus candidate, by the party’s stakeholders.
His emergence as the consensus candidate sparked wide jubilations from the party supporters at the event.
The development implies that the governor will be the APC flagbearer for the 2027 Governorship election in the state.
In his address at the event, Dr Yakubu Maccido, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee for the Governorship Consensus Exercise, said 160 delegates unanimously affirmed Radda as the party’s candidate.
Maccido explained that in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the APC guidelines, a sole aspirant must be affirmed through a voice vote by delegates.
He subsequently declared Radda as the APC consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Katsina State.
The committee chairman also presented declaration of result forms for other elective positions to party leaders.
The APC National Vice Zonal Chairman, Alhaji Datti Garba, commended party members for conducting the consensus process peacefully and orderly.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir, said Katsina is among states where consensus option was adopted without crisis.
Former Katsina Governor Aminu Masari urged party members and aspirants whose ambitions did not materialise to support Radda and work for the unity and success of the party.
Masari, who is also the Chairman of Reconciliation Committee, appealed to the governor to carry all stakeholders along in the administration and affairs of the party.
He described the process in Katsina as successful and exemplary when compared with what obtained in some other states.
The former governor urged APC stakeholders across the state to commence grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the mobilisation is necessary to ensure the victory of President Bola Tinubu, Gov. Radda and all APC candidates during the elections.
He further urged residents of the state to come out en masse to vote for APC, describing Katsina as a stronghold of the party.
In his acceptance speech, Radda thanked Almighty Allah for sparing his life to witness the event.
He appreciated party leaders, stakeholders and members for giving him the opportunity to seek re-election unopposed.
Radda assured party faithful that he would justify the confidence reposed in him and work tirelessly for the success of the APC at all levels.
Recall that Radda had in 2023 emerged the winner of the gubernatorial election as he defeated his closest rival Yakubu Lado of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor had the election polled 859,892 votes as against Lado’s 486,620 votes.
The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate, Nura Khalil, won 8263 votes, while Imran Jino of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) got 4,226 votes. Ibrahim Zakari of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) got 1,049 votes.
Labour Party’s Abu Musawa won 560 votes.