The legal battle over the governorship tussle between the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi has renewed political rivalry and tension in the state.
A chieftain of the PDP in Bauchi state, Alhaji Bibi Dogo, had frowned at the decision of the APC to challenge the election of the state governor, Senator Bala Muhammed, saying the action is done in bad faith just to distract the governor’s attention from carrying out developmental projects across the state.
The APC had vowed to seek redress at the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict delivered by the Court of Appeal in Jos, which upheld the victory of the Bala Muhammed and PDP in the last 2019 election.
Dogo, who address newsmen on Tuesday in Bauchi, reacts on the stand of the APC, saying “the only option left for the APC is to accept the judgement of the Court of Appeal which dismissed their petition against the election of governor Muhammed and to jettison the idea of any further legal tussle over the judgment for the sake of people Bauchi.”
Dogo said protracted legal fireworks over the elections was not in the best interest of the state, even though “we are not afraid of litigations with Abubakar after we defeated him five times, first at the polls, second supplementary election, third in the court, fourth at the tribunal and fifth at the Appeal Court and by the grace of Allah we will carpet him again in the Supreme Court.”
He said if APC were patriotic they will let go the decisions of the Appeal Court after they suffered defeat five times they should allow the will of Bauchi people to prevail not to make political attempt to distract the governor with the aim of going to Supreme Court; rather they should defend the interest of the state.
In his response, a stalwart of APC in Bauchi, Yahaya Idris Suleiman, popularly known as Magayakin Ajya, denied any distraction behind the party decision to go to Supreme Court, adding that the move is born out of interest for the people of Bauchi state.
He explained that both PDP and state government were panicking with the steps taken by the APC to reclaim, “our stolen mandate; why are they disturbed with the decision of party to go to Supreme Court if they really win the election without malpractices. Why are the state governor and PDP members jittery with the move?
Suleiman added, “The APC move to go to Supreme Court is a patriotic and legitimate way to reclaim our stolen mandate and they should allow justice take its course. We are confident that the apex court will do justice to the case.”
