A former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, has revealed that he had to take a loan in 2003 to buy the governorship nomination form for his party’s primary election.
According to him, his party had fixed ₦5 million for the form but he didn’t even have up to ₦500,000.
He explained how his friends and political associates raised money for him. However, it still wasn’t enough, and he had to approach the late elder statesman, Mallam Magaji Danbatta, then chairman of Kano Forum and got a loan of ₦1 million from him.
Naija News reports that Shekarau made the revelation while speaking at the maiden memorial lecture in honour of the late Magaji Danbatta.
“In 2003 my party, the APP, fixed its nomination forms at N5 million and I did not have even N500,000 but my co-contestant Ibrahim little was a millionaire and we learned he had already bought the forms. We managed to raise N1.5 million and N2.5 million was mysteriously raised but the money was still not complete.
” I approached the late Malam Magaji Danbatta, explained my situation and wanted him to support me with a loan to complete the money.He asked me to write and then approved and minuted to the DG Kano forum to pay,” Shekarau said.
The former Governor noted that the mantra of administration built on human capital development and social justice was partly an idea of the late elder statesman.