Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, has emerged the winner at the All Progressives Congress primary for Niger North senatorial district.
According to Adamu Abdulkarim who announced the result, the governor scored 335 votes while the incumbent senator, Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi, scored seven votes.
He stated that a total of 435 voters registered and 343 votes were cast, while 92 Borgu local government delegates, where the incumbent senator hails from, boycotted the primary election.
Senator Sabi’s agent was said to have walked out of the election venue less than one hour into the primary election process.
The agent was said to have walked out of the election due to an alleged non-enabling environment.
Bello, in his response after the results were declared, urged his opponent to be patient and take it in good faith while waiting for better days ahead.
The governor described the process as free and fair, adding that elections in the state were devoid of thuggery and carrying dangerous weapons.
He decried the use of financial inducements to get delegates to vote for aspirants, stating that money in politics is incapable of producing good leaders.
Bello said, “This election has witnessed the deployment of a lot of resources and I am worried about this because this can not guarantee good leadership.
“It means that when you have money, regardless of how you got it, who you are, or your integrity and character, as long as you have the money, you can easily get elected. So I have my reservation on that and that is the truth.”