The Dutse emirate council in Jigawa state has defended Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over allegations that he is not a Nigerian. According to royal father in from state, who spoke based on anonymity said Atiku’s mother is from Jigawa, and that she was the daughter of late Abdullahi from Jigawar Sarki in Jigawa.
Atiku’s origin came to question again, after claims made by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that the former vice president is not a a citizen of Nigeria, therefore can’t contest the presidential election.
The claims were made as they responded to a petition filed to the presidential election tribunal by Atiku and his party to challenge the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 23 election. APC claimed that Atiku was born on November 25, 1946 in Jada, Adamawa state, which was then in Northern Cameroon.
The official from Dutse Emirate council in the state said he chooses to be anonymous because the Atiku’s origin has now been politicised. What he said:
“As a royal father in Jigawa, I don’t want my name to be mentioned because they have politicised the whole issue.”
“However, I can confirm that the late Mrs Kande was from Dutse and her uncle, Adamu Ma’aruf, was the chief imam of Dutse Central Mosque until he died five years after the creation of the state in 1991.”
A centenarian, Isyaku Adamu also confirmed that Atiku is a Nigerian. He said the mother of the former vice presidential was known as “Kande Yar-Malam” and married Garba(Atiku’s father) who came from Sokoto.
His words: “He settled at our house, popularly called ‘Gidan Malamai’ (Scholars’ House). There, he met and married Kande and took her to present day Adamawa State where Mr Abubakar was born.”
“Abubakar’s mother, Kande, was junior to Alhaji Ali and Azumi; they are all late now. Kande was our daughter and Abubakar is our grandson. We are all Fulani by tribe; our forefathers are scholars here in Dutse, that’s why our home is called Gidan Malamai.”
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