By Umaru Shehu
Minna
Traders in Minna, the Niger State capital, have dissociated themselves from the purported purchase of nomination form for the re-election bid of the state Governor, Abubarkar Sani Bello.
They also described the claim as ‘‘one of such political gimmicks.’’
It would be recalled that the state government in a press statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, claimed that traders in the state on the platform of the Amalgamated Market Traders’ Association (NSAMTA) purchased the re-election form for the governor.
The statement quoted the traders as saying, “Due to the giant strides recorded by Governor Bello’s administration in developing the state in the last three years, the association purchased the 2019 governorship nomination form for his re-election.
“Traders’ union led by a business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Achida, spoke on behalf of other members in Government House in Minna, the state capital, when members of the association and other stakeholders presented the nomination form to the governor.
“The union in concert with the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) had on Friday obtained the nomination and expression of intent forms on behalf of Governor Bello from the National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja for the sum of N22.5 million.
“The market men and women led by their chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Dan’dare, attributed the success recorded by the governor on his conscious efforts at running an all inclusive government in the state which brought about conducive environment for business to thrive in the state”.
But some traders who spoke in Minna on the issue cautioned those behind the purported purchase of nomination form for the re-election of the governor not to drag traders’ union into politics.
Some of the traders including, Hajiya Zaynab Inuwa and Mr. Samuel Onoja in their separate reactions said that politics and political alignments should be an individual thing and nobody should drag traders’ union or use the name of traders in Niger State for political gains.
Hajiaya Inuwa who refused to disclose the party she belonged to said, “I have never seen where politics and political affiliations have become compulsory. Why using the name of traders’ union in the state to feather their political nests, politics should be an individual thing of the heart”.
