BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, is reportedly trying to retrieve the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket after losing the party’s presidential primary election at the weekend.
TheCable learnt that Ibrahim Kashim, former secretary to the Bauchi government (SSG) who won the party’s governorship ticket in the state, only stood in as a proxy for Mohammed.
At the party’s presidential primary election on Saturday, the Bauchi governor finished at fifth position, securing only 20 votes.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar polled 371 votes to become the standard-bearer of the party.
Nyesom Wike, Rivers governor, polled 237 votes while Bukola Saraki, former president of the senate, got 70 votes.
A source in Mohammed’s presidential campaign organisation told TheCable on Monday that the governor would soon announce his entry into the Bauchi governorship race.
The source said the governor was advised not to run for the presidential ticket because of some of the projects he started in his first term.
“He will soon announce his entry into the gubernatorial race, that is certain. He was advised not to contest for the presidential ticket because of what he started in the state,” the source said.
“There are over 2,000 students on scholarship in tertiary institutions paid for by the Bauchi government, so his allies preferred he contested for the governorship than pursue a presidential bid.”
The electoral act does not expressly address the substitution of candidates by a political party for whatever elective position.
However, section 31 provides for the withdrawal of a candidate.
The section reads: “A candidate may withdraw his or her candidature by notice in writing signed by themselves and delivered personally by the candidate of the political party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the commission not later than 90 days to the election.”
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