Bauchi Governor-elect, Bala Mohammed
By Baba Shehu Oscu, Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor-elect, Senator Bala Mohammed has said five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) and 60 other lawyers will defend him at the state Election Petition Tribunal, as APC filed a petition challenging the entire Bauchi governorship election.
Hon. Uba Ahmad Nana, Bauchi state’s chairman of the APC party told journalists that his party is seeking justice from the tribunal.
“We filed the suit on behalf of the APC challenging the results of the governorship election held some weeks ago. What we want is justice, as always, from the court because we know that the court will do just that,” he said.
Also speaking, Bauchi Governor, Muhammad Abubakar, said he decided to approach the tribunal after a directive from the APC.
“Just like I said, I am an obedient member of the national body of the party; it is because of this, that all these three places that I went to, each one of them said the APC will file a suit in court to challenge the governorship election results in the state.
“As an obedient member, I accepted to go with that decision. Everyone knows when the results of the election were announced, I conceded defeat but I contested on the ticket of the party and the party has refused to accept the outcome,” he said.
The governor revealed that APC has engaged the services of four Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) to challenges the outcome of the election at the tribunal which is expected to commence sitting on or before April 25.
Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad, told newsmen in Bauchi recently that no fewer than 65 lawyers, five of them Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), would defend the mandate given to him by the people of the state.and that he was optimistic that the petition of outgoing governor, Muhammad Abubakar, and the All Progressives Congress challenging his victory at the tribunal, would fail.
He however said that the decision of the APC to challenge his victory at the tribunal was a normal course of action backed by the Electoral Act.
He said that it is very commendable for him and the PDP to have lawyers who offer their unsolicited legal service at a time when their services are needed.
“For me to get this free of charge and for you to offer your service at no cost shows patriotism,” he said.
The Governor-elect promised that the PDP will operate an all-inclusive government that will provide opportunities to the citizens of the state to enable them contribute towards its development.
