The former commissioner for works, Obafemi Hamzat, is another aspirant seeking the job of Ambode with Sanwo-Olu.
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state has pledged 2.5 million votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming 2019 presidential election.
Masari made the pledge in Abuja on Thursday, September 13, when answering questions from state house correspondents after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the presidential villa, THe News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
According to him, the people of Katsina are 100% behind the president and they will continue to support him even after the elections of 2019.
“We expect based on figures coming out of the registered voters to give him nothing less than 70 to 80 per cent," Masari said.
“We don’t have the figures now because they have completed additional registration, we are not talking about the last exercise that led to the election of 2015 and in 2015 he got almost 1.5 million votes from Katsina state.
“So we expect by 2019 we will be able to give him additional one million making it not less than 2.5 million votes.”
On the proposed electoral offence commission, the governor stated that the commission when operational would help to sanitise and make the elections more credible.
Masari, who also spoke on whether states should adopt direct or indirect primaries, said there was nothing contentious about the matter as the constitution of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) was very clear about it.
He stated that already the issue had been settled as three states out of the 36 states had opted for the direct primaries.
He said: “It is not a hot cake. First of all, let me say from all the states that we have read and heard, Lagos, Kano and Niger are the only states that have opted for direct primaries in a country of 36 states plus FCT.
“I think it shouldn’t be contentious issue. In fact the constitution of the party is very clear, there is nothing contentious in this.
“The constitution of the party recognises direct, consensus and indirect primaries,
“So which ever method is adopted, nobody is breaching the constitution of the party so what is the big deal about it.’’
Meanwhile, the Lagos state chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, September 13, said it would welcome Governor Akinwunmi Ambode into its fold if he decided to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The publicity secretary of the party, Taofeek Gani, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
The report said Gani spoke following reports that Jide Sanwo-Olu, a former commissioner for training and establishments in the state, had been adopted by the APC leaders to succeed Ambode.
The report said the APC chairman in Lagos state, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, had told newsmen on Wednesday, September 12, that the governorship ticket of the party was open to all aspirants.
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