The governorship candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kaduna, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi, has called on people of the state to shun divisive politics in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections, by voting credible candidate who would rightly steer the affairs of the people.
He also cautioned the electorate on being careful of antics of individuals and groups of persons bent on religion and tribal sentiments to win election or retain power.
Hunkuyi made the call while speaking with newsmen on Saturday in Kaduna.
He reiterated his stand on inclusive government, pledging to carry everybody along, irrespective of age, religion, tribe and language differences if he wins the governorship election.
Speaking on claims and counter claims that some clergymen had endorsed certain candidates for governorship election in Kaduna, he said it was a distraction aimed at taking away the mind of people from the ills of the incumbent administration in the state.
‘I think you are aware of a letter by Kaduna State CAN Chairman, which endorsed the PDP governorship candidate. We also have audio where some Muslim clergymen have also endorsed the candidate of APC for governorship election in Kaduna State.
“Where do we go from here, where a Governor that will emerge after the polls will be tagged a Governor for Christians or a Governor for Muslims in this metropolitan state,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that a letter trending on social media, allegedly written by the CAN Chairman, Kaduna Chapter, Rev. John Hayab, had endorsed PDP candidate, Isah Ashiru for the next governorship election.
Similarly, some Muslim clergymen had also allegedly endorsed the APC candidate, Sen. Sani Uba.
However, Hayab, the CAN Chairman, in reaction to the alleged letter, said he neither wrote nor authorised anybody to write such letter, while calling on the general public to disregard it and described it as fake news.
Speaking further, Hunkuyi urged Kaduna people to be wise enough by discerning happenings going on around the state.
He said Kaduna State, known as the centre of learning, did not expect its citizens or residents to be carried away by religious and tribal sentiments.
The governorship hopeful, who said he was more experienced and knowledgeable in terms of complexity of the state than other candidates vying for the position, dismissed allegations that he was also running on Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Describing the allegation as laughable, he said a committee was set up to select his running mate and at the end of the exercise, an Adara man, Dr Sani Mazawaje, was chosen.
“Dr. Mazawaje is a Christian, contrary to the allegation,” he said.
Speaking further, the NNPP governorship candidate, said he believed in the oneness of Kaduna and should be treated as metropolitan state where nobody should be regarded as second class citizen for the purpose of peace and unity, progress, growth and development.
He vowed to run an inclusive government by reviewing several policies of the outgoing government with the aim of revising some of their policies which he described as anti-people and anti-progress.
He promised free education from primary to secondary school levels; review downward of recently increased school fees of state-owned tertiary institutions and tackling insecurity through various means including constabulary system.
He also promised to restore sacked teachers and other workers dismissed without their entitlements and bring back the disengaged traditional rulers.