By Ishola Michael – Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed
Abdullahi Abubakar who is seeking reelection for a second term has been
advised to toe the path of honour and concede defeat as was done to him
in 2015 when he was elected by defeating the candidate of the then
incumbent Governor, Isa Yuguda.
This was the reaction of
residents of the state immediately the results of the just concluded
supplementary elections in the state were announced which indicated that
Abubakar lost to PDP calling on him to leave honourably like was done
by former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
Many
of those who had expected that the winner of the March 9 governorship
election would be announced by the Returning Officer, Prof Kyari
Mohammed on Sunday were disappointed as they have to wait for another
day until the court judgment on Monday to decide whether the results of
Tafawa Balewa LGA would be re-collated and its result announced to
declare a winner or a rerun will be carried out in the area to determine
the eventual winner.
Those who spoke with our correspondent in
the state capital on Sunday expressed their displeasure with the
decision of the APC and its candidate, Mohammed Abubakar to go to court
saying that clearly he was losing and the judiciary cannot save him as
the people have decided on who to be their next Governor.
As soon
as the results were announced, some PDP supporters were seen dancing
and singing near the INEC office to celebrate results of the 19 out of
20 local governments so far announced saying that the days of the APC
led administration under Mohammed Abubakar in the state was over.
Baba
Sule, one of the PDP youth leaders in the state said that: “Governor
Abubakar is only delaying the evil days. Whether he likes it or not, he
is gone.
How can a sitting Governor allow himself to be
defeated? Mohammed Abubakar had the chances but failed to utilise them.
It is a price of arrogance,” a resident of Tirwun, who was at the INEC
office but declined to mention his name said.
Although a winner
is yet to be declared by INEC as all stakeholders await the
pronouncement of an Abuja Federal High Court tomorrow, several residents
have reacted just as Adamu Usman, a resident of Railway, Sabon Kasuwa
in Bauchi Metropolis, and a member of the Nigerian Union of Road
Transport Workers, Bauchi-Tirwum, said: “To me there is no need for a
rerun in the Tafawa Balewa LGA, the results should just be announced and
whosoever wins should be allowed because more money will be spent and
time will be wasted. It is God that gives power, what we need in the
state is peace.”
Illiya Mohammed, from Misau town, a commercial
driver, said: “To me, INEC should be allowed to declare the winner
because we are tired of the APC government. We have suffered under them.
My parents are pensioners and they suffered. Some have paralysed while
waiting for their entitlements so we want them out. APC should accept
defeat and spare us all these pains. They have been defeated twice so
even if we do a rerun again they will be defeated because clearly,
Tafawa Balewa LGA is not their stronghold.”
Some officials
serving in the APC led government have also vent their frustrations with
the Governor’s sit tight tactics saying that enough is enough as the
writing is on the wall that their time is up.
One of them who
pleaded anonymity said: “We have been advising His Excellency to toe the
path of honour and concede defeat but he has refused. The people of
Bauchi State are just suffering over his procrastination. He should take
the step that former President Goodluck Jonathan took by conceding
defeat because if he refused he would suffer more humiliation. Already,
his Commissioner of Finance has resigned and five more will leave any
moment from now.”
On Sunday, the mood among several PDP
supporters was that of jubilation and confidence of victory for their
candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.
There are concerns
that all the giant billboards of Governor Mohammed Abubakar in parts of
the state capital which would have cost millions of Naira, would be
removed by some youths to express their displeasure with what they
alleged is the Governor’s time buying.
Source:- Tribuneonlineng
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