By Demola Akinyem, Aliyu Dangida & Ndahi Marama

Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State, Kwara State governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and his Borno State  counterpart,  Professor Babagana Zulum, were, yesterday, given their certificates of return  by Independent National  Electoral  Commission, INEC.

INEC boss, Prof Mahmood Yakubu

Their deputies and elected members of the state Houses of Assembly equally received their certificates of return from INEC.

In Jigawa, Governor Abubakar’s deputy, Umar Namadi, and 30 members of the state House of Assembly, got their certificates of return.

The  30  members of Jigawa  State  Assembly were  elected  on the  platform of All Progressives Congress,  APC,  across the 27 existing local government  with three local government areas, having additional constituencies making 30 members.

Of the 30 members, 21 were returned, while nine were newly elected.

Two of the members (Kaugama and Bulangu) who were denied automatic ticket and decamped to Social Democratic Party, SDP, were defeated by APC candidates.

National Electoral Commissioner in charge of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, Abubakar Nahuce, presented the certificates of return  to the governor  and his deputy, while Resident Electoral Commissioner,  Mahmud Isah, presented to 30 members of the state Assembly.

Speaking after he received his certificate,  Governor Abubakar said 2019 elections were far better than that of 2015 as Nigerians witnessed free rancour and hitch-free elections.

Kwara belongs to all—Abdulrazaq, gov-elect

In Ilorin,  the governor-elect, after receiving his certificate of return,  at the INEC office in Ilorin,  said:  “This state belongs to all. We don’t see anybody as opposition. It is Kwara for all. All hands must be on deck to rebuild the state. This is a poor state and a lot of work has to be done. We will embrace everybody.

“When you record a winning margin of 75 per cent, as we did, it means that even those on the side of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also voted for us. So we are going to ensure that we all work together. We are not going to label anybody. There are good people on the other side too.”

In his address, a National Electoral Commissioner at the event, Mohammed Haruna, who commended the peaceful nature of the election, advised the new administration to emulate political maturity of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who he said on behalf of all others that lost in the election, that the winners were not his enemies.

Borno gov-elect unfolds10-point agenda

Similarly, in Borno, the governor-elect unfolded a10-point transformation agenda to “rebuild and safe return” of people to insurgency affected communities.

Zulum, after receiving his certificate of return alongside his running mate, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, said: “We shall include all insurgency ravaged communities; with a view to retuning IDPs to their ancestral homes. We shall address the root causes of Boko Haram, which include strengthening the security system, creating jobs, inculcating discipline in our society, among others.”