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From Paul Orude, Bauchi
A major contender for the Bauchi Federal Constituency seat, Hon. Salisu Sabo, popularly known as Salisuya, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) Electoral Committee to declare him the winner of the recently concluded House of Representatives primary election, expressing confidence that he defeated the other contestants.
Other aspirants in the race include Idris Isa Yuguda, son of former governor Isa Yuguda; Engineer Abdullahi Sirajo Jibril; Hon. Salisu Sabi (Salisuya); and the only female contender, Hon. Badi’yatu Inuwa (Siyama).
Sabo acknowledged that there were lapses during the exercise but thanked God that the election was eventually conducted, insisting that he emerged victorious.
He organised a victory rally to appreciate his supporters for their massive turnout and warned the party against declaring another aspirant as the winner.
“I won the election in almost all the wards. People came out massively and voted for me because they have confidence in me.
“We won in all the collation centres. Up till now, the results have not been announced. Our agents have the security reports, but unfortunately I do not know what is delaying the announcement of the results,” he said.
“I came out to thank my people for voting for me. You can see the way people received me and the overwhelming support they showed. That is why I organised the rally.
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“The exercise was supposed to commence by 10 a.m., but people waited for hours before the electoral officers arrived. Unfortunately, they did not come on time.
“We went round all the collation centres, pleaded with the people, and provided them with food and water. I was the only aspirant who went round yesterday to encourage them. It appeared to be a deliberate plan to make our supporters get tired and leave before conducting the election, but we insisted that our people must stay. Thank God, when the votes were counted, we had the majority in all the wards,” he added.
According to him, the confidence reposed in him by the electorate was a result of the humanitarian services he had rendered through his foundation.
“The reason people have confidence in me is because of the things we have done for them through my foundation. Even without holding any appointment, we have provided scholarships, healthcare support, portable water, job opportunities and skills acquisition programmes. That is why many people came out to vote for me.
“None of the other aspirants went round the collation centres. One of them had previously been given the opportunity and failed. Another has not been active in Bauchi for about four or five years, and people only know him because his father was governor. If the party wants someone on the ground, I am the only one.
“If they present anybody other than me as the candidate, that person will not win the election. We have seen this happen before. During the administration of former Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, the party presented a candidate who was not popular among the people, while the popular candidate defected to the PRP and won because the people supported him.
“The same thing may happen again if the party refuses to field me. This is not about selfishness; I am only stating the reality on the ground. The people of Bauchi Local Government are politically aware. They believe in someone who can adequately represent them, someone who is accessible, committed and has done so much for them,” he said.
The APC electoral committee is yet to announce results for the 12 federal constituencies in Bauchi State at the time of this report.
