Ex-banker Falalu Bello joins battle against El-Rufai in Kaduna

By Shuaib Sadiq/kaduna

The new National Chairman of People Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Falalu Bello, has picked the party’s ticket for the governorship seat in Kaduna State.

Bello was the former managing director of Unity Bank and also former chairman of the bridge bank Mainstreet Bank

Mataimaki Tom-Maiyashi, Kaduna chairman of PRP said the delegates affirmed Bello’s candidature to face incumbent governor, Nasiru El-Rufai of APC, Isah Ashiru of PDP, Saeed Haruna of SDP and others contesting for governor in 2019.

Tom-Maiyashi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kaduna that Bello was endorsed by delegates to fly the party’s flag

The chairman said that the PRP would also field candidates to contest in all the 54 elective positions in the state.

He said that the positions include, governorship, three Senatorial seats, 16 House of Representatives seats and the 34 State House of Assembly positions.

NAN reports that Bello, a lawyer, businessman and former Managing Director of Unity Bank, became PRP National Chairman on Sept 2, after its former chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa stepped aside.

Meanwhile, one of the delegates and a candidate for State Assembly seat for Sabon Gari Constituency, Fahad Ahmed-Chikaji, told NAN that the party is the best platform to bring about genuine change in the country.

He said the party’s delegates conference was conducted peacefully and that candidates emerged without any dispute among the contestants.

According to him, the two major political parties, the ruling APC and the opposition PDP, have failed to meet the yearnings of Nigerians as such the PRP is stepping in with a credible platform for genuine national change.

Meanwhile, a former chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Saeed Haruna has emerged the gubernatorial candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state.

Haruna defected from the APC in June and would represent the SDP in the 2019 Governorship election in the state.

Adamu Idris, SDP Chairman in the state, told NAN in a telephone interview in Kaduna that the candidate emerged through consensus.

Idris said the party would field senatorial candidates in Kaduna North and Kaduna South senatorial districts during the 2019 general polls.