|By Adejumo Adekunle
Senator Sunday Marshall Katung has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Kaduna South Senatorial District after defeating former Senator Danjuma Tella Laah and Michael Auta in a tightly contested primary election held across the eight local government areas of the district.
The returning officer, Prof. John Laah of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, declared the results on Monday at the collation centre in the Jema’a Local Government Secretariat, describing the exercise as peaceful, free and fair.
He said delegates voted across Kagarko, Sanga, Kauru, Zangon Kataf, Kaura, Jema’a, Jaba and Kachia local government areas, with Katung dominating the poll with 7,453 votes. Danjuma Tella Laah scored 1,370 votes, while Michael Ayuba Auta polled 878 votes.
Prof. Laah commended party officials, security agencies and delegates for ensuring an orderly process across the senatorial district.
With the result, Katung has secured the APC nomination to contest the Kaduna South Senatorial seat in the forthcoming general election.
Reacting to the outcome, the Executive Chairman of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, Joseph Bege Gaiya, said the election outcome reflected the will of party members at the grassroots.
He said the process demonstrated internal democracy within the APC, adding that it had strengthened public confidence in the party’s direction in the region.
In a separate exercise, returning officer Samira Jibrin announced the result of the Kaduna Central Senatorial primary, where Shehu Sani emerged victorious with 9,105 votes.
Yusuf Zailani polled 1,021 votes, while Shettima Yerima, who had earlier withdrawn from the race, recorded 1,253 votes.
Speaking after the announcement at his Kaduna residence, Shehu Sani thanked President Bola Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani for their support.
He said: “There is no better representation of the people of Kaduna State than me being their lawmaker and Uba Sani being the governor.”
He also appreciated Shettima Yerima for stepping down, and urged other contestants to unite and strengthen the party ahead of future elections.
Sani noted that Nigeria continues to face major challenges, including poverty and unemployment, calling for collective effort to address them.
