Mother In-law To Swear-in Son In-law As Governor

The Niger state governor–elect, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC), will, on May 29, be sworn in by his mother-in-law who is also the state’s chief judge, Justice Fati Abubakar.

Abubakar Sani Bello

According to Nigerian Tribune, Bello, a son of a former military governor of old Kano state and businessman, Colonel Sani Bello (rtd) is married to Dr. Aminat Sani Bello nee Abubakar,  a medical practitioner and a daughter of the former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd). Justice Abubakar is General Abubakar’s wife.

Justice Fati Abubakar

After his election, Bello had vowed to run an all-inclusive governmentto accommodate all the residents of the state, including those who voted against him in the April 11 election.

Section 185. (1) of the 1999 Constitution lists the chief judge of a state first in the order of judicial officers qualified to administer the oath of office on governors.

That section of the constitution reads:  “A person elected to the office of the governor of a state shall not begin to perform the functions until he has declared his assets and liabilities as prescribed in the constitution and has subsequently taken and subscribed the oath of allegiance and oath of office prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this constitution.

“(2) The oath of allegiance and the oath of office shall be administered by the chief judge of the state or Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the state, if any or President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the state, if any, or the person for the time being respectively appointed to exercise the functions of any of those offices in any state.”

Bello won the Niger State governorship election by defeating his major challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Umar Nasko having polled 593,702 to Nasko’s 239,772 votes.

Bello’s father-in-law Gen. Abubakar (rtd) is the leader of the peace committee for the just concluded general elections.

After the victory of Buhari in the presidential polls, members of the Peace Accord Committee headed by Abubakar congratulated  President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat, and his opponent Buhari on his victory.