Bauchi 2019: Look beyond Abubakar

Aspirant to the seat left behind by late Senator Ali Wakili, Hon Muhammad Aminu Tukur, in this chat with PATRICK ANDREW, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi will be history if justice is not done to aggrieved members in the state.
Excerpts: Deputy governor’s resignation Well, let me say that I am not the Deputy Governor but believing what he is and knowing who he is, I think he has done the right thing.
I may wish to recall that at the inception of this administration, we had cause to interact with him along with the governor with all members of the State House of Assembly.
I made mention before the audience that if it is the Nuhu Gidado that I know far back in 1969, I know the kind of personality he is and I know his capacity to handle certain issues, specifically administrative issues.
I am speaking from experience and from the fact that I know him thoroughly well, right from childhood.
Although he happens to be senior to me, that doesn’t mean that we don’t know each other well enough.
We have been together for quite a longtime and I know him by his antecedents.
I have that conviction that if Nuhu decided to run through the whole period of four years with the governor then it is not the Nuhu that I know.
So I am happy that he has seen reason and has used the reason to justify what he’s been known for by honourably resigning from the government.
So, I congratulate him for taking a bold decision by resigning and to make himself relevant in the scheme of things in the state.
Effect on 2019 elections It’s well known to all of us that APC is a party to challenge in any given circumstance and believing that Muhammadu Buhari is having the widest support and everybody is clamoring that he should recontest, I believe that the President will definitely have the mandate of the people of Bauchi state.
I wouldn’t want to generalise the issue but obviously the President has all it takes to get the entire votes of the citizens of Bauchi state but believe me, any imposition on the people of the state will definitely be challenged.
I stand to tell you that if APC is to fill in the present governor in the forth coming 2019 general election then the party will be history in the state.
I hold no reservation for saying this.
APC congresses in Bauchi The thing about Nigerians is that we claim to believe in God but we don’t.
Our belief and admonishment of the presence of God only ends up on our lips, it doesn’t go down to our souls and bodies.
So what I am trying to say here is this, I have had cause to make several pronouncements with regards to the party congresses that were conducted in the state right from the ward to the local government congresses and even the state congress.
It is known to all of us that the Independent National Electoral Commission, a body saddled by the provision of the constitution to be a witness to the whole process, has written that there was no congress in Bauchi state.
This is for sure, INEC does not recognise any congress that was conducted in Bauchi state.
During the very day the ward congress was held, there wasn’t any place where you witnessed people gathered to conduct the party congresses.
Let me cite an example; the President went to his home town in Daura, the congresses were held there in the presence of everybody.
Most of the governors of the APC did the same thing.
Can you tell me where you saw Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar participating in the congress in his electoral ward? Can you tell me if you have any clip that the governor attended an APC congress of his ward like Tanko AlMakura, Ganduje in Kano, El-Rufai and all others did? We saw them actively participating in the congresses at their respective wards.
Where did Governor M.A Abubakar‎ do his congress? Let me get to know of it.
It goes to tell you that everything was written in the Government House and those that were supposed to be arbiters or umpires of the process, who come from Abuja, were paid off and they decided to do the bidding of the government.
Nobody can dispute that.
Steps to put things right We have written to the National Chairman of the party, telling him of all that took place in Bauchi state and as I have rightly made mention, we admonished feel very much happy with the position of the INEC.
With regards to the congresses in Bauchi state, we feel very embarrassed by the activities of the security institutions in the state who danced to the tune of the governor; and believe me, we have realised that what we want is free and fair playing ground such that everybody can be seen to be participating and the right to decide who to lead us should be given to us as bonafide members of the party.
That was not given to us.
So having realised that even the national leadership of the party is not all that serious to yield into our demand for fairness for equity, for Justice, we have decided to go to court.
We are now before a competent court of law and we have the conviction that we will definitely get the best of judgement because we have our facts and figures handy.
It was along the line that we decided to lodge a case before a competent court of law, that is, the Federal High Court in Abuja as I rightly made mention and we are optimistic that we will get the best of judgement.
But let me put it with emphasis, should the court fail to yield into our demands as bona-fide and genuine members of this party, believe me we can go to any length and make a decision to dump the party and move elsewhere.
This is the obvious, nobody can trample on our right; we won’t allow that and this is obvious.
Government of change Can you tell me anything that you noticed that has changed in the entire process in Bauchi state? Do you want to tell me that the previous government – if they were known to have looted the treasury – that the scenario doesn’t exist presently? Let me make an example with my local government, Tafawa Balewa.
If you went to the local government headquarters during the four years of Isa Yuguda’s administration, the Government Secondary School, Bununu was overhauled and completely renovated, a brand new secretariat was built; a maternity clinic and primary health care center were equally renovated and put to standard.
Then, a new cottage hospital was equally built in Bununu during the four years of Isa Yuguda’s administration.
I would want to know just a single block that is worth N5million that is being done by the present government in Bununu, the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa LGA.
I am challenging the governor to tell me anything that they have done in Alkaleri, Kirfi, etc.
It is zero all over.
Then what is the face of change? Dogara not in Bauchi for congresses Let me tell you, I can vouch for the Speaker, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara; the budget was supposed to be passed on Thursday and he had to be there as Speaker, a major stakeholder in the budget passage at the National Assembly; everything depended on him.
They passed the budget on Thursday and on Friday they had to sit down at the House leadership, you know, to package it all and take it out for transmission to the Presidency.
That was done on Friday in the evening.
Now, how would he be able to come down to Bauchi, knowing full well that he was engaged in handling national issue? That was it.
They were extremely busy on Thursday and Friday morning and it was in national interest and not primordial interest.
Replacement for late Sen Ali Wakili I have said it rightly that we belong to APC where we have been short-changed and where we are now in a competent court of justice looking for redress.
Should the court fail to give us justice as I rightly mentioned, we will go to where we feel is convenient for us to contest and win elections.
Believe me we can go to any length and anywhere and win elections because we know our capacity and we know our relationship with the ordinary man on the street.
Let me put it back to you in a question form; do you think we will allow them to go scot free without fielding a candidate in any party of our choice? Let the seat be declared vacant, we won’t allow them an inch to surpass us.
We are ready for them.

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