Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto State, came to the aid of 153 students of Usman Dan Fodio University (UDU), Sokoto by paying N5.2 million for their registration fees.

Addressing the beneficiaries in Sokoto on Sunday, Mr. Bafarawa dismissed insinuations that the gesture had political undertones.

“The step is aimed at salvaging the future of the students and the educational development of the state and the country in general.

“The youths are the leaders of tomorrow and deserve to be well educated to equip them with the capacity to be good leaders in various fields of endeavour,’’ he said.

Mr. Bafarawa, now a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, said the party was planning to provide free education from the primary to tertiary level if it won the 2015 Sokoto state governorship election.

The former governor, who recently decamped from the All Progressives Congress, appealed to students to be serious with their studies, and advised them to shun vices which could jeopardise their educational pursuits.

“You should also pray for the peace and unity of the state and the entire nation, because we need that to prosper as a nation,’’ he said.

While speaking at the occasion, some representatives of the students — Bashar Sani, Yazid Abdullahi and Asiya Al-Hassan — thanked Mr. Bafarawa for the gesture.

They promised to re-dedicate themselves to their studies.