An All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant, Alhaji Abubakar Mu’azu Hassan, yesterday, said he is still in the race for Gombe Central ticket.
The seat is currently occupied by Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje, who chairs the Senate Committee on Marine Transport.
Daily Trust had reported that Goje’s purported defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was halted by the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who brokered peace between him and Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
Goje and Yahaya had a frosty relationship following controversies that trailed APC congresses in the state.
It was gathered that Goje was promised a return ticket to the senate unopposed while his supporters would be carried along in other elective positions.
However, in an interview with Daily Trust, Muazu, a close ally of Governor Yahaya, said he was not aware that the senatorial seat had been ceded to Goje.
He also said no one had asked him to withdraw from the contest.
Muazu said, “I knew that there is ongoing move to reconcile the former governor with the incumbent by the national secretariat, but nobody contacted me that I should withdraw my ambition.
“Also, democracy is not about allocation of positions, but free and fair contest, where every loyal party man is given equal opportunity. Therefore, we are waiting to see how they are going to force us from participating in the primary election.”
Muazu also said he would not agree to a consensus mode of picking the party’s senatorial candidate for Gombe Central.
He said, “Even though there is a consensus option, it cannot be forced because an aspirant has to willingly agree before it can be valid. And let me be categorically clear, I am not withdrawing for anybody. If you are a real politician, enter the contest and prove your strength on election day.”
