The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State has voiced strong confidence in its chances of securing a majority of the seats in the upcoming local government council elections.
The APC officially launched its state-wide campaign on Saturday after electing candidates for all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
During the campaign flag-off event, which included the presentation of the APC flags to the party’s LGA Chairmanship candidates, Senator Shehu Umar Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, delivered a bold speech.
He expressed certainty that the APC would triumph in the local government elections if they are conducted fairly.
According to Senator Buba, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government in Bauchi State has implemented policies that have impoverished the people and engaged in widespread corruption.
“In an atmosphere of free and fair elections, nothing can stop APC from winning the local government elections in Bauchi state,” Buba declared. “The reason is because of the bad policies of the PDP government in Bauchi State. People of Bauchi State are being impoverished, you can see that the Bauchi PDP government is very corrupt, and the corruption is very obvious because everybody is involved.”
He continued by accusing the PDP-led government of failing to deliver on any significant projects or initiatives, instead focusing on the misappropriation of public funds.
Senator Buba suggested that the upcoming local government elections would serve as a precursor to the 2027 general elections, predicting a broader victory for the APC.
Addressing criticisms of the APC at the federal level, particularly under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Senator Buba dismissed the allegations as baseless and unfounded.
He praised the Federal Government’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s situation, emphasizing that Bauchi State has benefited significantly from federal interventions, which, he claimed, the state government has failed to acknowledge.
“For example, let me give you the recent intervention: 20 trucks of rice were given to Bauchi State to distribute to the populace. Where is the rice?” Buba asked rhetorically. “Three months ago, about 70 trucks of Guinea corn were given to Bauchi State from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to be distributed to the people. Recently, 70 trucks of assorted fertilizer were given freely to be distributed to farmers, but they ended up selling it at the rate of N50,000 per bag.”
Senator Buba attributed the hardship in Bauchi State to the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed, describing it as a “one-man government” rife with corruption.
He called on the people of Bauchi State to turn out in large numbers on August 17th to vote for the APC, which he described as a vote for hope and change. He expressed confidence that the APC’s candidates would emerge victorious.
Meanwhile, the acting APC State Chairman, Hon. Mohammed Hassan Tilde, echoed Senator Buba’s sentiments and warned of potential electoral fraud by the PDP, which he claimed had manipulated previous elections since 2019.
He urged APC members, especially those assigned to electoral duties, to be vigilant and protect the party’s votes from being compromised.
Hon. Tilde also highlighted that the APC has fielded candidates for all 20 chairmanship and 323 councillorship seats in the upcoming local government elections.
He expressed his strong belief that the party would secure all these positions across the state.
