From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri
Immediate past Borno State Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Prof. Babagana Umara-Zulum, has emerged as winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries held on Sunday.
Zulum was earlier endorsed by Governor Kashin Shettima as the preferred candidate of the party.
Announcing the result on Monday, chairman of the state APC gubernatorial primaries committee, Ahmad Elmarzuk, said Prof. Zulum scored 4,432 votes to defeat nine other contestants with wide margin.
Elmazruk, said a total of 5012 delegates voted in the exercise, while 313 votes were invalid.
Similarly, 10 of the 21 aspirants withdrew from the race and stepped down for Zulum at the beginning of the primaries that started late Sunday night.
Our correspondent reports that some aspirants such as Kashim Imam, Umara Kumalia, Abba Jato, Minister of State for Power, Mustapha Shehuri, Nigerian Envoy to China, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, were absent at the venue of the primaries.
According to Elmazruk, Idris Durkwa clinched second position with 115 votes;
Kashim Imam, 20 votes; Mustapha Shehuri, one vote, Gambo Lawan two votes; Atom Magira got 2 votes; while Baba Ahmed Jidda finished with one vote.
Three other aspirants, Umar Alkali, Abba Jato and Umara Kumalia did not secure any vote. In his acceptance speech, Zulum said the victory belongs to all the aspirants who lost and entire citizens of the state.
The candidate also applauded Governor Shettima for appointing him into his cabinet as commissioner, and finding him worthy of being his successor.
On his part, Governor Shettima also commended the four governorship aspirants for conceding defeat.
He said it was a display of patriotism, statesmanship and love for the state for the aspirants to accept defeat.
The governor urged them to join hands with the winner to ensure victory of the party at all levels of election.
Shettima made the commendation shortly after Prof. Zulum was declared winner and returned as candidate for the 2019 elections.
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