‘We did not step down for Gov Bindow’

Some governorship candidates in Adamawa have rejected the inclusion of their names among the 11 governorship candidates that stepped down for Gov. Muhammadu Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Mrs Na’ama Bulama of Progressives People Alliance (PPA), and Mrs Lami Musa of the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN) announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Wednesday in Yola.

The candidates said they were still in the race, contrary to the announcement at Tuesday’s launching of Gov. Bindow’s re-election campaign where the candidate of Alliance National Party (ANP), Alhaji Umar Jada, who spoke on behalf of the parties that endorsed Gov. Bindow listed their names.

“I did not step down for anyone, I am still much in the race and was not even in town talk less of attending the event,” Bulama said.

She urged her supporters to remain calm and focus on working for the party’s victory.

Also reacting, Lami Musa of PPN said the party’s chairman had earlier contacted her on the development but she rejected it.

“I am not a party to it and still remain in the race,” Musa said.

She also urged her supporters to ignore the development.

Alhaji Bappari Umar, the candidate of KOWA party, whose name and party was also mentioned, said he was still in the race.

“There was a mix up in what happened. As you know we have a forum of governorship candidates working toward a peaceful general election.

“Part of the arrangement of the forum is to attend each other’s campaign launch which some of us did yesterday.

“Some of us where at Gov. Bindow’s launching of campaign in that respect, but we were erroneously included among those that stepped down for him like ANP candidate,” Umar said.

NAN reports that 29 candidates had been cleared by INEC to contest for the governorship election in the state. (NAN)