It was an overwhelming endorsement for Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state on Sunday trooped out en masse to affirm him as the party’s standard bearer for 2019 gubernatorial elections in the state.

Party members from the 274 wards of the state trooped out in large numbers as early as 8am in their ward’s designated centres to participate in the direct primary option adopted by the state for the emergence of party's candidates for all elective offices in the state.

The Governor scaled the screening exercise and was cleared by the national secretariat of the party. He is the party’s sole candidate for office of the governor.

Sani-Bello, who was at Mustapha Comprehensive School, the centre for Kontagora Central Ward, Kontagora Local Government Area for the governorship primary, expressed appreciation to party members for reposing confidence in him by returning him unopposed.

According to the Governor, “It is very comforting when your people have confidence in you, when they support you, when they overwhelming endorse you. In politics, this is what you need and I really appreciate the gesture.

“Their action has further humbled me and I am propelled to do more in the years to come. By 2019 our administration will continue the good works we started.”

The elated governor then assured party faithful and people of the state of his resolve to be more committed to the actualisation of the restoration agenda of his administration, which he said has been on course adding that a second term ticket would enable him to consolidate and take the state to greater heights

“It has been tough in the years past but there is still a lot of work to be done. We may have not been able you cover all sectors, this time we are determined to cover more grounds and ensure full actualisation of our set goals come 2019,” the Governor assured the people of the state.

Meanwhile the returning officer for Kontagora Central Ward, Alh. Lawal Abdullahi Madsngen, after the exercise, disclosed that out of the 1,354 accredited members, 1198 that turned up for voting unanimously affirmed the governorship candidacy of Gov. Sani-Bello for 2019 gubernatorial election.