Bauchi senator emerges as NNPP gubernatorial candidate

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Haliru Jika, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party in Bauchi State.

Jika, who currently represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the Senate, emerged unopposed following the voluntary withdrawal of Yusuf Ibrahim from the race.

Chairman of the election of the NNPP, Yusuf Kofar-Mata, flanked by his Secretary, Mark Usman, said that the National Headquarters of the party sent them to come to Bauchi and conduct the election.

The delegates unanimously adopted Jika as the candidate in a voice vote.

He said, “Following the receipt of the letter of withdrawal of Yusuf Ibrahim from the race, and since Sen. Haliru Jika is now the only aspirant in the race, I hereby affirm him as the gubernatorial candidate of the NNPP in Bauchi State.

“We have 630 delegates here with us who have also affirmed and adopted Haliru Jika as the gubernatorial candidate.

“I want to appreciate the officials of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) for their presence to observe all that we have done here today.”

Speaking after his affirmation, Senator Jika, a former Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, expressed gratitude to the delegates and the NNPP for the honour done to him by allowing him to fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming election.

In a brief interview with journalists, Jika said, “The programme of today is in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the provisions of the electoral act which was recently amended by the National Assembly and subsequently accented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“It is in compliance with the document that we have come here as a party to do the affirmation and the substitution.

“What is about to happen in Bauchi is what we have laid the foundation for today. It is a revolution, a generational change, agitation for youths and women that is is about to take place.

“You will agree that the youths and women are the backbone of any society and we are duty-bound to support them and mobilize them so that we can have good governance in Nigeria and in Bauchi state.”

Speaking on his plans for the youths in Bauchi State, he said, “I have put the entire youths in the state in perspective, and I have seen how governance is being delivered in the state and we will soon come out with our blueprint, a working document that will work for Bauchi state.”

Jika, who lost his bid to get the ticket of the All Progressives Congress to a former Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, and dumped the party to the NNPP, expressed optimism that he will be the next Bauchi state governor.

“This will start with security, education, heath, tourism, mining and so on and so forth. Very soon, we will unveil that action plan to the people of Bauchi state.

“I am very positive that I’ll win. I am an engineer, and I calculate every risk before I take it, and this risk is worth taking, and I am taking it,” he stated.

PUNCH/N.O