A group of stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bauchi has denied the rumoured defection of a former governor of the State, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP going into the 2023 general elections.
In 2015, Mr Abubakar was elected Bauchi governor under the platform of the APC but failed to secure re-election for a second tenure in 2019, following his defeat by the incumbent governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir of PDP.
WikkiTimes learned that the rumoured defection of the former governor to the PDP came to the fore in Bauchi following the defection of Sule Katagum, who deputised for him during his time as governor.
A gale of defection hit the APC in Bauchi following the conduct of its governorship primary election that produced former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retired) as the flag of the bearer of the party for the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Big names who were formerly members of the APC but quit for PDP and other political parties include two governorship aspirants of the party – Senator representing Bauchi Central, Senator Halliru Dauda Jika who now holds NNPP’s governorship ticket; Farouk Mustapha who is now the 2023 Director-General of Bala Mohammed’s Campaign Organisation. Senator representing Bauchi South, Senator Lawal Yahaya Gumau quit the APC for NNPP.
Isa Matori, who spoke on behalf of the group of the political appointees of the former governor said Mr Abubakar at a press conference in Bauchi is still a member of the APC and has neither denounced nor defected to the PDP.
Read: Just In: Ex-Bauchi Deputy Gov., Sule Katagum Dumps APC
He said the APC’s attention was drawn to a statement and footage from Bauchi, Azare and Darazo under a purported committee featuring Audu Sule Katagum (former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State) as the convener and a number of few persons who once served in the regime of former Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, going viral on news media, urging his supporters to vote for PDP and Governor Bala Mohammed in the forthcoming 2023 gubernatorial election.
“Though we are not holding brief for the former Governor, as APC members who had similarly worked with his Excellency, M.A. Abubakar as Governor, we feel duty bound to react to the false claims therein and caution faithful party members to stand against that and any machination by political jobbers and Scavengers to demean the former Governor.
“This is a work contracted to work against the emerging victory of the APC and its candidate, his Excellency, Ambassador Sadique Baba Abubakar in the 2023 elections.
“His Excellency M.A. Abubakar as we all know is still a member of the APC. As a reputable lawyer, undoubtedly submissive to the party’s constitution and other relevant statute documents regulating behaviour and conducts of members, the former Governor is not the type that would reduce himself to anti-party behaviour and life similar to that of a political jobber or a scavenger.
“Therefore, the former Deputy Governor and his cohorts on such a dishonourable political voyage must not continue with the task they are doing for PDP but must work at destroying the party that brought them to the political limelight from oblivion”, he added.
Read: Bauchi 2023: Former APC Guber Aspirant Campaigns Against Party, Pledges Support For Gov Bala
“How soon has the former Deputy Governor forgotten the way APC was robbed of its victory in the last 2019 general elections by PDP? Has he forgotten how silly the former Governor was ridiculed and insulted during the last general elections by the present government of PDP by their characteristic manner of reckless and unguided utterances toward perceived political opponents?
“We want to strongly and irrevocably disassociate ourselves from the claims of the former Deputy Governor, Sule Katagum. As party members who worked relentlessly with former Governor, Mohammed Abubakar and added value to governance during his time, we shall remain in the APC. That is the spirit of APC which his Excellency M.A. Abubakar preached and is still living with,” he said.
