Senator Uba Sani representing Kaduna Central Senatorial zone has emerged as the consensus Kaduna state gubernatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) following party’s caucus meeting of the state.
The meeting, which held at Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House Kaduna for over three hours and was attended by all leading APC guber aspirants in the state, the governor’s team and state top APC hierarchy, saw Governor Nasir el-Rufai who chaired the meeting, prevail upon his former chief of staff and two times commissioner for planning and budget, Sani Muhammad Abdullahi Dattijo, to step down and pick the senatorial form for Kaduna Central.
Though Blueprint gathered that only three guber aspirants have so far purchased APC forms for Kaduna state, only Uba Sani and Dattijo were believed to have attended the meeting.
Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sha’aban, another aspirant who had purchased his form, the Director General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh and former Chairman National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar, were among the APC guber contenders who were absent at the meeting.
During the extensive APC caucus meeting, Uba Sani emerged as the consensus gubernatorial candidate for the party, while Dattijo became the party’s senatorial candidate for Kaduna Central and incumbent senator representing Kaduna North, Senator Abdul Kwari, is expected to seek a second term at the upper chambers, while the founder of Nok University, Kachia, Dr Tony Hassan, is expected to become APC contender for Kaduna South senatorial district.
Muhammed Sani Abdullahi, popularly known as Dattijo who had earlier on Wednesday picked governorship form issued a statement on Thursday, confirming his withdrawal from the governorship race.
“At a meeting on Wednesday, the governor directed that we rally round Senator Uba Sani for the Governorship seat. He has asked that I pick up the form for the Senatorial seat for Kaduna Central.
“While this outcome is not what we have planned or hoped for, we have accepted it as Allah SWT’s will who provides to whom he wishes, when he wishes. Therefore we have entrusted our future to Him and prayed the state and the nation will have the best of leaders in 2023.
“I remain grateful for Malam’s mentorship and for your unwavering support, which I do not take for granted. I had earlier purchased the APC governorship form but will be picking up the senate form as directed inshaAllah. I hope we can continue to work together for the success of the APC in all elections. Your support is not taken for granted and will always be remembered and appreciated,” Dattijo told his supporters.
Both Senator Sani and Dattijo are the major guber aspirants in the party with grassroot supporters. As Uba Sani’s supporters basks in euphoria of joy on social media that he emerged as APC consensus governorship candidate, Datijo’s supporters wished him success in his bid to represent Kaduna Central people and Kaduna state in the Senate.
However, it is unclear if the current consensus arrangement will be accepted by other contenders who are not members of the governor’s kitchen cabinet and did not attend the caucus meeting or if there would still be guber primaries in the state as scheduled by the party.
