After Crashing Out Of Presidential Race, Bala Mohammed Clinches Bauchi PDP Guber Ticket With 100% Record

By Enyichukwu Enemanna

Barely a week after losing his bid to clinch the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has been declared winner of the re-run gubernatorial primary election in the state.

At the rerun primary election which took place on Saturday at the Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi, Mohammed scooped all the 646 votes cast.

Recall that at the primary election of the party which took place in the state last week, Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Kassim won the governorship ticket.

He however stepped down to pave way for the governor’s second term.

Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Murtala Damagum, while declaring the results of the election, noted that there are a total of 656 delegates in the state.

He explained that 20 among the delegates are national delegates from each of the 20 local government areas of the state.

Damagum added that the remaining 636 delegates cut across the 323 electoral wards of the state.

Announcing the results, Damagum, said that 10 delegates were absent, 650 accredited while 646 delegates voted.

He declared, “I, Hon. Murtala Damagum, by the power vested on me as an Electoral Officer on this occasion, having satisfied all the electoral processes, do hereby, declare out last Presidential Aspirant and our new gubernatorial aspirant, Senator Bala Mohammed, the winner.

“He had the total votes of 646 complete votes, he is hereby declared winner and he is returned elected,” he declared.

In his acceptance speech, Mohammed expressed gratitude to the Secretary to the State government, for his unalloyed loyalty to him.

“On behalf of myself, my family and the Peoples Democratic Party, I thank God for this day and moment, and I thank the PDP family and the people of Bauchi for giving me the opportunity.

“You are aware that I have gone on a solo trip to run for the presidency of Nigeria and that did not work but today, I must thank my brother, the Secretary to the State government who felt that I should be given the opportunity to go for a second term by stepping down for me.

“What he did is not only a sign of loyalty, but a spirit of comradeship which he expressed and I will not take that for granted. I am very grateful to God, I’m grateful to the PDP family, I’m grateful to him (SSG). I will not disappoint him and I must also thank our national leadership for also accepting,” he said.