It has emerged that the Hausa-Fulani chiefs, the Sarkis, who met President Goodluck Jonathan in Lagos last week, were fake.

One of the leaders, Sarki Sani kabir disclosed at a meeting in Lagos with Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the people Jonathan met were impostors, not the real leaders of their people.

Jonathan with Ogun traditional rulers in Ewekoro

He said on the day of the endorsement, some people bought turbans at Agege and went to visit Jonathan at the State House, Marina, posing as Sarkis only to deceive the President.

He said, “When President Jonathan came to Lagos with dollars, some of us here quickly went back and gathered ourselves and started calling our own not to go to visit Jonathan. I also commend some leaders here for leading an offensive and convinced people not to go there.

“Most of the Arewa leaders and ‘sarkis’ did not even go there to collect the dollars. At that event, card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party bought turbans at the Central Market around Moshalashi Bus Stop, Agege. The person that sold the turbans told me that they dressed up as emirs and they were on their way to Jonathan’s place.

“So, most of them were fake. They went to collect dollars but cannot tell anyone because they are in hiding. But we did not stop at that; those that we knew that went, we called them to order and asked them why they went but they said they only collected dollars but they would not vote Jonathan.”

Kabiru said virtually all Arewa members had collected their Permanent Voter Cards. He promised to ensure one million votes for the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); and the state’s governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

The leaders, who were drawn from the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state, distanced themselves from the endorsement given to Jonathan by a group.

*Originally reported by PUNCH