The Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed Vanguard (BAM-V) has called on All Progressives Congress (APC) and its gubernatorial candidate in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Bauchi State, Sadique Baba Abubakar to accept the verdict of the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which uphold the victory of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed in the poll.
The nation’s electoral umpire, INEC, had declared Governor Mohammed the winner of the March 18 election with 525,280 votes to defeat his closest contestant Ambassador Sadique Baba Abubakar, who polled 432,272 votes.
WikkiTimes reports that the three-man panel of the Bauchi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal led by Justice PT Kwahar dismissed the petition, opposing the re-election of Governor Mohammed filled by the APC gubernatorial candidate, Abubakar, for lack of merit.
In his reaction to the judgement, Mr Abubakar vowed to appeal the matter, insisting that he will explore all constitutional means to get justice over the matter.
The group said this in a press statement signed by its Director-General, Comrade Mohammed Mohammed Jibo Abubakar, made available to journalists.
He said the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed at the tribunal is well deserved, calling on all well-meaning people of Bauchi State to join hands with the PDP-led administration to take the state to greater heights.Â
Comrade Jibo noted that the tribunal’s judgment confirms that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man.
“Though we acknowledge the fact that the APC and its gubernatorial candidate have the constitutional rights to appeal the verdict of the tribunal, we, however, called on them to accept the verdict in good faith and in the spirit of sportsmanship and join hands with the Governor Bala Mohammed administration to take Bauchi State to greater heights.
“Bauchi State has lagged behind in development for too long before Governor Bala Mohammed came on board on May 29, 2019.
“During his first tenure, the Governor was able to change the narratives with the level of unprecedented development he brought to the state, making Bauchi State a pride for all.
“The state as of today can stand shoulder to shoulder with its peers in terms of development in all sectors, including Education, Health, Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Good Governance, among others.
“The fact that the people of the state acknowledged this fact made them vote massively for the Governor in the March 18 Governorship poll in order for him to continue with his giant strides and further improve the fortunes of the state.
There is, therefore, the need for the opposition to not only join hands with the Governor to further develop Bauchi State but also contribute meaningful to the development of the state,” the statement read in parts.
Idris Kamal Ibrahim is a dedicated reporter with WikkiTimes, specialising in fact-checking, investigative journalism, and solutions-focused reporting. His commitment to uncovering the truth and addressing societal issues in Northern Nigeria has earned him several prestigious journalism fellowships, highlighting his expertise and impact in the field.