Meet Dr Zainab Gimba, the only woman who reportedly won APC ticket in the whole of Borno State

Dr Hajiya Zainab Gimba, a former commissioner in Borno State, has emerged victorious in the House of Representative’s primary election of the APC.

 

The election was held on Thursday in the ElKanemi Warriors Stadium, Maiduguri and she polled 76 votes to trounce her closest rival, Nur Sherrif who got 50 votes. Alhaji Abdulrazak scored five votes while Baba Mala Kaigama and Sule Gambo scored zero votes.

 

Alhaji Ahmed El-Marzuq, the chairman of the electoral committee who presided over the exercise, did not announce the winner of the election, noting that the election was inconclusive.

 

Reacting, Gimba, the leading contestant, said the election was marred by irregularities, intimidation and disappointment, noting that her life was under threat because she refused to withdraw for a particular candidate.

 

She said that she and her supporters were beaten by policemen who acted on orders from the government house.

 

“We started peacefully with four wards…suddenly we saw some police officers sent from Government house to stop the election," she said. 

 

“When the officer came, he told us that Governor Shettima said they should come and stop the election. When our supporters insisted that the election must hold they started beating all of us and injuring some. In fact as I am talking to you, my leg is swollen.

 

“I sent a message to the Borno Commissioner of Police and also called him, but he told me that the officers sent were those from the government house and were not acting under his order. When I told him, he said there was nothing he could do. As you can see my people are still here demanding for justice and fairness. They are saying that they cannot allow their mandate to be stolen by anybody.

 

“We therefore appeal to the APC National working committee and President Muhammadu Buhari to defend democracy by ensuring that every aspirant gets justice. The APC must not fold its arms and watch aspirants’ rights violated. As you can see, they already announced that I am winning, but they are planning to rig the election in favour of my opponents”.