The Bauchi State gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 governorship election, Air Marshal Abubakar Baba Saddique (retd), on Monday, vowed to retrieve what he termed the mandate freely given to him by the people of the state at the tribunal, even as he urged his party supporters not to lose hope over the outcome of the governorship election in the state.
Saddique, Nigeria’s immediate past ambassador to the Niger Republic, made the vow while speaking with journalists at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport in Bauchi, shortly after landing from a trip outside the state. He said that he has confidence in the judiciary to retrieve the stolen mandate.
According to Saddique, who is also the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, the Nigeria judiciary is reliable and as such it would not only do justice to the petition before the state’s election petition tribunal but also ensure that the mandate stolen by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is returned to him
He said: “We have hope in God and the judiciary to retrieve our stolen mandate, Insha Allah. I want to believe that the judicial system of Nigeria is reliable and I am sure that at the end of the day, we will get back our mandate. Once we retrieve the mandate, we promise the people what we will do immediately.
“The APC will continue to remain the political party to beat not only in Bauchi State but across the country.”
Saddique came second, behind incumbent Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of the PDP, in the March 18 election.
While urging APC faithful in the state to continue to be patient and hopeful, the governorship candidate told them to remain committed to the cause of the party.
“I want to urge them to continue to be patient and hopeful. I am ready to legally pursue the fight to reclaim this mandate because we won the gubernatorial election and we are ever ready to prove that at the tribunal,” he said
