Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has said that his nomination as one of the Northern consensus presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) was not an impediment for other aspirants to contest the party’s primaries.
Governor Bala was speaking in an interview with newsmen at the Bauchi Government House, shortly after he was presented with a letter of nomination as ‘Governor of the Year’ by the management of the Sun Newspapers.
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He said that the Northern Elders Forum made thorough consultations with leaders and stakeholders across the country before endorsing him and the President of the 8th Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the Northern presidential aspirants of the PDP.
He said rescuing Nigeria and Nigerians from division, insecurity, joblessness and poor leadership remains his top priority hence the need for elders and leaders of the PDP to ensure unity and progress of the party are strengthened.
Governor Bala said that the former Jigawa state Governor, Sule Lamido who kicked against the consensus outcome, is entitled to his opinion like any other Nigerian. He said that he respects Sule Lamido for his sportsmanship and sacrifices to the successes of the PDP saying that he shall be pitied if the forum had not contacted him during the exercise.
Sokoto State Governor, Wazir Tambuwal who is one of the aspirants has since dissociated himself from the outcome declaring that the consensus plan had failed just as Sule Lamido described it as a ruse and unacceptable.
