2023; Gubernatorial Election, Bauchi To Conduct Fresh Exercise, As Candidate Steps Down From The Race

Ayuba Mafi

Bauchi state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said to conduct the fresh exercise, as candidate stepped down from the race.

The gubernatorial candidate of the party for the just concluded primaries election in Bauchi, Barrister Ibrahim Kashim withdrew from the race, based on his personal decision.

Former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barrister Ibrahim Kashim won the ticket of the party in the primary conducted last week, after the Returning Officer for the election, Hassan Ahmed Grema then declared Ibrahim Kashim the sole aspirant, and winner adding that he pulled a total of 655 votes out of the 656 votes while one was invalid.

In his acceptance speech shortly after the declaration, the former SSG said he accepted the mandate given to him by the delegates, declaring that the contest for 2023 had just begun.

Universal Reporters gathered that there was friction between the State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed,  and the gubernatorial candidate after the primary election.

Reports said  Kashim, against earlier “agreement”, refused to hand over the ticket to Governor Mohammed who lost the PDP presidential ticket to the former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Turakin Adamawa)

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Yayanuwa Zainabari Tuesday confirmed that a fresh exercise would be conducted because Ibrahim Kashim had withdrawn from the race as he is no longer interested in the election.

Zainabari stated that the PDP was following the process as enshrined in the law of the party and the electoral law.

According to him, “the former Secretay to the State Government of Bauchi State, Barrister Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim has withdrawn his candidature and submitted his candidature since he stepped down on his own; the party is left with no option but to get his replacement through fresh primary election”.