2023: Governor Mohammed cautions PDP candidates in the state to stay clear of party’s national controversy

From David Kuvie  Bauchi 

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has warned candidates contesting on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the state against getting involved in any controversy of the party at the national level.

He gave the advice on Saturday during a stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP.in the state.

The PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar is having a face-off with the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike who lost to the former Vice President in the party’s primary of the party.

The who spoke while addressing candidates of the party at the meeting, which started at about 12:00 mid-day on Saturday, at Government House Annex, Bauchi, said all candidates in the state must stay clear of the raging controversy.

Speaking before the meeting went into close door meeting, the governor advised candidates in the state to respect the Presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP.

“I don’t want anyone of us to get involved in the controversy at the national level. It is above us,” he advised.

“Leave it to me to handle it as your leader the way l am handling it as your leader. Certainly we cannot afford it because it will have disparaging consequences on us”

The stakeholders meeting was attended by the party bigwigs and candidates contesting on the platform of the party in the forthcoming general election.

The meeting had in attendance the State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Hamza Akuyam, the Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Bala Hadiz and newly appointed Campaign Director General of the party for the 2023 election, Honourable Farouk Mustapha.

Others PDP bigwigs who attended the meeting include the Deputy Governorship candidate, Auwal Jatau, Speaker of the State Assembly Honorable Suleiman Abubakar the Deputy Speaker Danlami Kawule, and candidates contesting in the State and National Assembly.

He urges candidates to focus on the challenges in the state saying so far the  administration had been able to address grievances that arose in the aftermath of the party primaries amicably.

He advised candidates to accept the fact that the party is supreme to any member, hence any complaint must be addressed within the ambit of the party guidelines.

“Whatever we become we must remember the party is supreme,” he said.

“We have problems but it’s about swallowing our problem for the greater benefits of the bigger picture”

The governor said he convened the meeting in order to confront the challenges ahead and ensure that the PDP does not lose the state in 2023.

“We have done quite well but l believe we will do better,” he said.

“I called for this meeting to for us to sit down, reminisce, discuss and address new challenges, especially looking at the electoral act, our party guidelines, and of course our personal challenges to regroup and refocus.

 “We are confronted with a long period of electioneering and campaign.It’s going to take much time so we have to strategize. We have so many projects and programmes we have not completed. 

“We we have fulfil 80 percent of our promises but the party is not going to win at the Government House but at the villages where we come from.

“The candidates are the most important variables now because the party has finished its own, meaning we must manage scare resources. 

“The people appreciate what we have done but we cannot afford to be complacent”

He observed that the party leadership at the local government is not doing as we expected as the general election approaches.

“The elected local government chairmen are not supporting our candidates as much as we want . That gap should be closed down. The party leaders should close rank with our councillors,” he advised.

The governor urged candidates to reach out to those that lost to them. 

“I urge you not to dump them because they have lost election,” he advised.

“There is no loser and vanquish in the PDP. Reach out to them in your electioneering and campaigns.

“I have looked inward and reached out to them and paid them a token for the losses they incurred.