Accept defeat, Bauchi Speaker advises APC

The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, has called on the opposition All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Sadique Abubakar, to shelve any intention of going to the Supreme Court to challenge the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed.

Abubakar, who said that doing so would end in futility for the party and its candidate, however, called on them to join hands with the governor to develop the state.

The Speaker, in a congratulatory statement signed by his dpokesperson, Abdul Burra, and made available to journalists in the state on Friday, also advised the APC to wait till 2027 to try itd luck.

Burra said, “The Speaker called on the opposition to put the interest of the State first, shelve any idea of further legal challenge that would end in futility, join hands with the Governor in his Bauchi Development Agenda and wait for 2027 to try their luck.”

He congratulated the governor on his victory at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which affirmed the judgment of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and upheld his election.

According to him, the Speaker said he was thrilled about the judgment saying that although the outcome of the appeal didn’t come to him as a surprise, knowing fully that the Governor has indeed legitimately won his election and that the judiciary would always give justice to whom justice is due.

He also expressed excitement because the “sacred mandate” given to the governor by the people of Bauchi State has been further secured.

“He stated that Governor Bala Mohammad is a true leader and servant of the people whose progressive mind and versatility in politics and governance gave him uncommon strength beyond the reach of the oppositions no matter their antics.

“Abubakar Y Suleiman also congratulated the Deputy Governor, Auwal
Jatau, people of Bauchi State, members of the Peoples Democratic Party and all supporters and well wishers of the Governor across the country.

“He commended the legal team of PDP and the governor for their professionalism and experience in seeing the Governor and the Party through the legal challenge,” the media aide said.

The PUNCH reports that following the declaration of Mohammed as winner of the gubernatorial election in Bauchi State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the candidate of the APC, Sadique Abubakar, approached the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in the state to challeng the victory.

The chairman of the three-man panel, P T. Kwahar, in his judgment, affirmed the victory of Bala Mohammed, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Not satisfied with the tribunal’s judgment, Abubakar filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the decision of the lower court.

But in a judgment on Friday, the three-man panel of the Appellate Court, led by Justice Nwaoma Chidi Uwa dismissed the appeal filed by APC’s candidate and affirmed the victory of Mohammed.