John Adams, Minna
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2015 governorship election in Niger State, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Nasko, has joined the 2019 governorship race.
This is coming after weeks of speculation about the former Chief of Staff to former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu second coming.
He will again be testing his popularity on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State.
Nasko, the first son to the former FCT Minister, Maj.-Gen, confirmed his intention to again vie for the one position in the state in a video he posted on his WhatsApp page which had already gone viral in the state.
All arrangements have concluded for the submission of his letter of intent at the PDP state secretariat, on Saturday.
In the WhatsApp video, Nasko promised “total transformation” of Niger State if given the opportunity to govern the state
According to him, he would focus his attention on agricultural mechanisation, education, youth empowerment and employment as well as health.
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Nasko would, however, be contending with other forces in his Niger North senatorial zones where former Nigeria’s ambassador to south Africa Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto and a business mogul Alhaji Muazu Hanafi Sudan who had already indicated their interest in the governorship of the state under the PDP come from.
In the run off to the 2015 election, Nasko defeated the same forces he will contending with during the primaries which he eventually won.
Umar Nasko was a Commissioner for Tourism, works and later environment under the administration of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu before becoming his Chief of Staff.
He was backed for the governorship by former Governor Aliyu in 2015 but lost to incumbent Abubakar Sani Bello of the APC in what many blamed on Buhari hurricane.