- As the 2019 general elections draw nearer APC in Yobe state has urged governorship aspirants in the state to step down for the governor's preferred successor
- Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of the state endorsed Maimala Buni to succeed him as governor of the state
- He says he endorsed Buni due to the leadership qualities he saw in him
Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress in Yobe have urged governorship aspirants in the state to accept the endorsement of Alhaji Maimala Buni, by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam as the preferred successor.
NAN reports that the party chieftains, who made the call on Sunday, September 9, in separate interviews with newsmen in Damaturu, said the governor acted on the directives of party stakeholders to nominate the governorship flag bearer for the party.
NAIJ.com gathers that Alhaji Aji Bularafa, a party chieftain in the state, said the endorsement of the incumbent APC National Secretary, Alhaji Maimala Buni, by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, reflected the collective position of all stakeholders who passed the resolution in an enlarged meeting.
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He said: “As stakeholders, we are committed to the collective interest of the state as against personal interests; we are interested in someone who would improve on the people-oriented legacies of the Gaidam administration."
Bularafa urged the party leadership to continue reaching out to the aspirants and convince them to step down, so as to have a consensus candidate.
Bularafa said: “It is in our interest to have our aspirants emerging as consensus candidates without going for elections and this is possible when the other aspirants withdraw their candidature to go with the position of the stakeholders."
Alhaji Bala Musa, APC chairman, Potiskum local government area, said: "Although the aspirants have constitutional right to aspire, l will advise them to drop their ambitions and go with the popular position of the stakeholders.
“It will be commendable of the aspirants to go with the mainstream decision of the stakeholders, concede their aspirations to strengthen party unity so as to avoid disaffection and disunity in the party."
Governor Gaidam said he nominated Maimala Buni based on the mandate given to him and the leadership qualities he saw in the nominee, to continue with the development agenda of the state.
The governor, who spoke at a youth forum in Damaturu on Saturday, September 8, however, said everybody had the right to contest against the preferred candidate but could risk defeat.
He said: “Every aspirant has the right to aspire for any position; we would conduct primaries and we have the right to defeat those contesting against our endorsed aspirants."
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NAIJ.com previously reported that Yobe state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, on Friday, September 7, endorsed Maimala Buni, the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governorship candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state.
The secretary of APC in the state, Abubakar Bakabe, confirmed the governor’s endorsement, saying that the governor had officially submitted the name of Buni as the consensus candidate of the party.
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Source: Naija.ng
