Breaking: 252 aides abandon Governor Tambuwal, resign from Sokoto state government

Two hundred and fifty-two aides appointed under Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s administration have resigned their positions.

The aides comprising of special advisers and special assistants, said their resignations were prompted by the recent decision of the Sokoto state governor to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party which they owe their loyalty, The Punch reports.

The former appointees said they will be unable to function in their respective positions under Tambuwal’s administration because of their determination to remain members of APC.

Spokesperson for the group, Dasuki Haske, told journalist on Sunday, August 19, that they were not ready to join Tambuwal in his new party.

“We deem it fit to state categorically that we are not ready to join Governor Tambuwal in his new party. That was what informed our decision. We will remain in APC and there is no going back,”Haske said.

“We are members of APC before taken up our appointments as SAs and it was based on our membership values that we are given such positions. Now, we have resigned because the governor has not performance well since inception to justify our supports for him.

“We want to assure that we will work for the success of APC in the state comes 2019 general election. We will work for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and our state party leader, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.”

Another speaker, Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmad Sokoto, insisted that the APC remained the undisputed party to beat in any election. He said all the aides who resigned had resolved to work for the party.

A former special assistant, Hajia Rabi Tudunwada, accused Governor Tambuwal of compelling his aides to swear with Holy Qur’an in assurance that they will defect from APC before they could be paid their August monthly salary.

She said some of them refused to be part of the oath which informed their decision to resign from their respective positions.

The APC chairman in the state, Isah Achida, thanked the affected aides for their loyalty to the party. He also promised them rewards for their steadfast and commitment to the party.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, August 19, declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Garba Ajiya, as the winner of Saturday, August 18’s bye-election into Takum 1 state constituency.

The PDP candidate polled 10,725 to defeat his closest opponent and the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. Atem Ansho who polled 3,268 votes.

The returning officer for the election and senior lecturer with the Federal University Wukari, Ayuba Daniel, announced the result at the collation centre in Takum, The Punch reports.

Flanked by the national commissioner in charge of Borno Adamawa and Taraba, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani, Taraba state resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Baba Abba Yusuf and his Yobe state counterpart, Alhaji Ahmad Makama, the returning officer said 73,183 voters registered in the constituency, but only 16,671 voters accredited and voted in the election.

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