From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Suleman Kawu Sumaila, Senatorial candidate for Kano South, under New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has accused his opponent in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kabiru Gaya of vote buying, ahead of the general elections.
He made the allegation at a press conference held in Kano on Saturday.
Sumaila alleged that Gaya, who is the current Senator representing Kano South, has shared N5,000 to constituents under the guise of empowerment, just few days to general elections.
He therefore called on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest and prosecute him for vote buying.
“It seems that Senator Gaya has taken people of Kano South for granted and is treating our people with utter disdain.
Having spent 16 years as a Senator, we expect Senator Gaya to give a detailed breakdown of his achievements.
“Instead, he has engaged in a desperate attempt to deceive, blindfold and cajole the people with just N5,000.00, only under the guise of empowerment
“Make the calculation: N5000 x 1000 = N5 million per LGA x16 LGAs = N80,000,000.00, only, in his four years from 2019-2023.
“So, he thinks he can buy our people with just N80 million? What a shame! we are men and women of dignity and integrity, we don’t sell our conscience for a loaf of bread.
“If the above mentioned money that he is disbursing is a constituency project, he should come out and tell us the agency that it is domiciled. If it is budgeted, how much is the total sum ? What is the code in the budget? Which Federal government agency was responsible? Where were the representatives of the agency in question?
“If however, the money he is disbursing is his personal funds, why didn’t he do this since? Why now? this is a clear vote buying and as such we are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute him for vote buying,” Mr Kawu-Sumaila appealed.
The former president Muhammadu Buhari’s aide also accused Gaya, a former governor of Kano State of failing to facilitate the completion of Wudil-Gaya section of Kano-Maiduguri road awarded by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006.
According to Sumaila, the Shuwarin-Azare, Azare-Potiskum , Potiskum- Damaturu and Damaturu- Maiduguri sections of the project were completed, butr Gaya failed to facilitate the completion of Wudil-Gaya, a 20km long in his Senatorial District.
He also alleged that the said road has become a death trap to motorists, killing over 300 people playing the highway.
“Again, let me also remind us that Senator Gaya was the Chairman Senate Committee on Works from June 2015 to June 2019. For good four years he supervised and over sighted the Federal Ministry of Works but failed to ensure that the road is dualised and completed as the other four sections that run into hundreds of kilometres.
“How Senator Gaya’s Misrepresentation led to death of over 300 people in four years from 2019-2023. On a daily basis, people are being killed in accidents on Wudil-Gaya road due to the negligence, incompetence and misrepresentation of Senator Gaya,” he said.
Kawu-Sumaila also described the 16 years of Gaya, currently the longest serving senator as wastage and bad representation.
