Following a recent political clash between supporters of the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) at Duguri Country Home of the state Governor Bala Mohammed, that claimed one life and fifteen persons injured, the All Progressive Congress, (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Bauchi State, Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar, (retired) while reacting to the unfortunate incident said that nobody will intimidate the APC and it members in the state.
Air Marshal Sadiq gave the assurance at a press briefing in Bauchi, saying APC is not a loose party that would be easily intimidated by the government in power.
Abubakar explained that already the party is accepted, and the citizens are behind the party to wrestle power from the PDP led maladministration in the state.
He also pointed out that neither himself nor his party can be intimidated in the buildup to the March 18th gubernatorial election.
“So, I want to say that the APC will not be intimidated, we will look at all situations and I have told all my supporters to exercise maximum restraint.”
” Whether they like it or not, by the grace of God, this PDP government will be dismantled by the people. The collective will of all the citizens of Bauchi State cannot be intimidated by bullets.”
”Nobody will intimidate APC, I mean nobody. What I urged the governor to do, is to explain and provide answers to the questions I raised.”
Asking why salaries are not paid and why is a consultant contracted to pay workers, collapse of health, education has also collapsed among others.
“Apart from us they are also intimidating traditional rulers and title holders. In some of the places we went to, all the traditional rulers were gone and disappeared because they were scared.”
He warned Governor Bala to stop intimidating people,”threatening them that if they receive me, he will sack them, even his brother in Duguri, ran away.
“But I went inside the Palace because it is not the person but the traditional institution that I respect. I don’t care whether you are there or not.
“I went there, greeted the so- called person that said that he was representing him but shortly after I left, he came back. It is extremely sad,” he said.
The governorship candidate appeals to APC supporters not to be distracted by these fictitious claims of the PDP. As a state, we are united that this government has failed and that we are going to send it packing by the special grace of God on the 18th of March. The people will speak,” he said.
Abubakar called on his supporters wherever they are in Bauchi State not to shed anybody’s blood.
‘I challenge the Governor to make this simple sentence if he can, he has never said it and I have said it in all the 20 LGAs. What I heard him saying is that if somebody brings out his finger, we will break it,
“That is what I heard in Dass. I challenge him to come out clearly and say this is what I told my people: don’t shed anybody’s blood, don’t take anyone’s life, that is a challenge and I hope that he will say it, but I know that he will not.”
The gubernatorial candidate said democratic process is not a war. We are not fighting a war and I have told my supporters that we don’t fight a war with billboards, posters, but proud of APC’s popularity in the state.
” It is about knowledge, explanation, persuasion for them to believe you and vote for you based on the situation on the ground.”
“In sha Allah, APC will win the election and dismantle the unjust government and make the people free again and be the custodians of governance unlike now where just a few people sit at the Government House to decide the fate of the millions of people in the state,” he said.
