The Action Democratic Party’s national leadership has denied the rumor that Sani Sha’aban, its candidate for Governor of Kaduna State, is withdrawing from the contest to make way for another contender.
The ADP claimed that Sha’aban, who is also President Muhammadu Buhari’s in-law, was the people’s choice to be the state’s next Governor.
Victor Fingesi, the party’s national secretary, asked all party members and the decent citizens of the state to dismiss the rumor and “view it for the fake news it is” in a statement he released on Thursday in Kaduna.
It also urged eligible voters to cast their ballots for their candidate in large numbers on election day.
The statement partly read, “The National Secretariat of our great party, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) has observed with dismay the malicious and mischievous rumour making the rounds of a purported alliance/merger of our great party or of its governorship candidate in Kaduna State stepping down or supporting the candidate of another party.
“This rumour is no doubt intended to malign the good name of our party and its governorship candidate at the Saturday, March 18, 2023 governorship election.
“Without a doubt, the candidate of our great party Hon. Sani Sha’aban being the choice of the great people of Kaduna State remains the candidate to beat at the polls and it is unfortunate in this age that certain political players would resort to such extreme measures to discredit his person or cause confusion in the polity.
The party said Sha’aban was in the governorship race to win and therefore would not step down for other candidates.
“We hereby categorically state that the candidate of our great party Hon. Sani Sha’aban is in the race to win the governorship of Kaduna State as he has not stepped down for any other candidate in the state, neither has he asked his teeming supporters to align themselves with any governorship candidate.
“For emphasis, we reiterate that Hon. San Shaaban is very much in the race as the candidate of the ADP in the Kaduna State governorship election to be held on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
“Finally, we, therefore, use this medium to urge all our party faithful and the good people of Kaduna State to disregard this rumour, and see it for the fake news it is,” the statement added.
