Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, on Thursday said that a minimum of 2.5 million votes are already waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari in the state for the 2019 presidential election.
He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting President Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
According to him, his state is 100 percent behind Buhari, who hails from the state.
He said โThe people of Katsina are 100% behind president Buhari and they will continue to support him even after the elections of 2019.
โWe expect based on figures coming out of the registered voters to give him nothing less than 70 to 80%.
โWe donโt 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.
โSo we expect by 2019 we will be able to give him additional 1 million making it not less than 2.5 million votes.โ he added.
On FEC setting up electoral offence commission, he said โIf I could remember during the Uwais committee, we were heading some sub committees of former legislators, former and serving governors and we made presentation and part of our recommendations is that apart from the independence of the electoral body, to establish this tribunal so that at least, this tribunal will help in sanitising the electoral process.
โThe legal system as that today is prolonged and takes time and cases are decided when you have even forgotten about your offence and I think , this will help to sanitise and make the elections more credible.โ he said
He said that there is nothing contentious on the direct and indirect primary controversy.
Masari said โIt 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.
โI think it shouldnโt be contentious issue. In fact the constitution of the party is very clear, there is nothing contentious in this .The constitution of the party recognizes direct, consensus and indirect primaries.
โSo which ever method is adopted, nobody is breaching the constitution of the party. So what is the big deal about it?โ he queried.