Former Air Chief, Abubakar clinches Bauchi APC guber ticket

Former Air Chief, Abubakar clinches Bauchi APC guber ticket

Former Chief of Air Staff, retired Air Marshal, Saddique Abubakar, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2023 election in Bauchi State.

Abubakar, who is the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, polled 370 votes to defeat six other aspirants in the primary election held on Thursday in Bauchi.

Announcing the result on Friday, the Returning Officer and Chairman, APC Election Committee, Alhaji Ali Birninkudu, declared Abubakar the winner of the election.

He said that 1,020 delegates were accredited and 1,012 votes cast in the exercise.

The returning officer said that Sen. Haliru Jika (Bauchi-Central), the runner-up in the election polled 278, and Alhaji Nura Manu-Soro came third with 269 votes.

He said that Musa Babayo polled 70 votes, Faruq Mustapha scored 26 votes, Mahmood Maijama 8 votes and Prof. Ali Pate got 0 votes, respectively.

“I certified that Amb. Saddique Abubakar, having scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner.

“He is, therefore, the standard flag bearer of the APC in the gubernatorial election that will take place in 2023 in Bauchi State,” he said.

In his acceptance speech, Abubakar thanked Allah for his victory and commended delegates and the leadership of the party for the confidence reposed in him.

He promised to work together with other aspirants for the success of the party in the 2023 general election, adding that, “your support is not taken for granted.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one of the aspirants, Al-Amin Mohammed withdrew from the race a few hours before the election.