Jigawa Central: APC set to compensate Nakudu with senatorial ticket

Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jigawa is facing a tough decision to make over the death, last Saturday, of Alhaji Tijjani Ibrahim Gaya, who was positioned to contest the poll for the Central senatorial zone in the state in the 2023 General Elections.

Gaya died last Saturday in faraway China while undergoing treatment for a lung infection.

He died three months after clinching the Jigawa Central Senatorial ticket to contest the poll next year.

As it stands, the APC is compelled to produce a substitution candidate to fill in for the late politician.

However, considering that the late Gaya had defeated an incumbent senator to clinch the ticket, the party is now left with the decision of either returning the incumbent senator, or produce a fresh substitute candidate.

Gaya, one of the three fresh candidates who clinched all the tickets in the Jigawa senatorial primary election conducted by the APC, had defeated the incumbent Senator Sabo Muhammad Nakudu, who is currently representing the senatorial zone at the 9^th Senate.

It would be recalled that Sen. Sabo Muhammad Nakudu, representing Jigawa Central and Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hedejia, representing Jigawa North East had contested but lost in their bid to secure the party’s Jigawa governorship ticket.

The two Senators lost to the incumbent Deputy Governor, Malam Umar Namadi who scored popular votes.

The senator representing Jigawa North West senatorial district, Abdullahi Danladi Sankara withdrew from the contest though  a letter he sent in few minutes to the commencement of the primary election, citing personal reasons.

The implication was that none of the incumbent senators representing Jigawa would return to the senate in 2023.

While Jigawa Central was won by the now late Ibrahim Gaya, Ubale Hashim won the ticket for Jigawa North East, just as Jigawa North West was won by a former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of works, Babangida Hussain, who defeated Sen. Abdullahi Ojo with 527 to 74 votes.

As it is, the APC is yet to announce a substitution candidate, even as the incumbent senator representing the Jigawa Central, Sen. Nakudu remains with the party even after losing his governorship bid ticket.

However, it is expected that Nakudu may be compensated with the senatorial ticket after losing out to Deputy Governor, Namadi in the primary to occupy the Jigawa Government House in 2023.

The late Gaya, it was gathered was earlier admitted at a private clinic in Abuja before he was flown out to China when his condition deteriorated.

Ibrahim died barely three months after he won the APC senatorial ticket for his zone where he polled 361 votes.

The deceased represented Dutse/Kiyawa federal constituency in the House of Representatives between 2011 to 2015.

Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad Badaru, in a condolence message through his media aide, Habibu Kila, said Ibrahim’s death “is a great loss not only to his family but to the Muslim Ummah.”

Badaru described Ibrahim Gaya as a man of honor, a great leader, and a role model to the younger generation, who has sacrificed his whole life to serve the common man.

“The death of Tijjani Ibrahim Gaya has come with a serious shock to me and indeed to the people of Jigawa state. Every soul must taste death. Our prayer is always to have a good ending and no doubt our brother has ended in a good after battling a protracted illness.” the Governor said.

Jigawa Central, Jigawa North West and Jigawa North East make up the three senatorial zone in the state.