My popularity overwhelmed my opponents ' Wamakko

Sokoto State Governor, Magatakarda Wamakko, has said his popularity scared his opponents away from the Peoples Democratic Party governorship primary election in the state on Saturday.He said there was no iota of truth in the claim by his opponents that there was no delegates election prior to the primaries.The two opponentsSen. Abubakar Gada, and a former Minister of Sports, Alhaji Yusuf Suleimanclaimed there was no delegates election.They alleged that those who came to the voting centre were handpicked.Because of this, the two of them stayed away from the primary election.But Wamakko, who was declared the winner of the election, after polling 956 out of the 961 votes cast, described his opponents claim as an afterthought.The governor told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Monday that he was happy with the outcome of the exercise.He said, You know that I was a popular candidate for the primaries. Those who contested against me for the partys ticket were all aware of this.As a performing governor, they knew it would be difficult for them to wrestle power from the people who elected me here.They ought to have owned up that my popularity scared them away from the primaries instead of their complaints. I am on the ground having touched the lives of thousands of people in the last one year.He, however, called on his opponents to forget what had happened and join hands with him to move the state forward.Let them know that there will only be one governor in the state at a particular time. I therefore plead with them to come together and support the wish of the people, he added.Meanwhile, the leadership of the PDP has sent a letter of congratulation to the governor.The Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, said in Abuja on Monday that the party was happy that the primary election was conducted in an atmosphere of peace.
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