Paul Orude, Bauchi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for this  Saturday’s Bauchi South Senatorial district bye-election, Hon. Lawal Yahaya Gumau, has described as ‘laughable’ the insinuation that he was an anointed candidate of Governor Mohammed Abubakar which paved way for him to emerge as flagbearer of the party.

Speaking at a press conference held at the NUJ Secretariat, on Tuesday, Gumau said that he won the party’s primary based on the strength of his manifesto and his record of achievements as a Representative  of his constituency.

Gumau, who is currently representing Toro federal constituency in the National Asembly, said he has never believed hid under godfatherism politics but had always put his trust in God.

He, however, thanked Governor Abubakar for giving each aspirant who contested the APC primary election a level playing ground.

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He said, “Governor Abubakar has demonstrated that he is a man of justice by ensuring that the primary was free and fair.

“I met him few weeks to the primary and asked him if he had any candidate and he told me plainly no because he was a victim of anointing a candidate in the past when he contested for Bauchi South Senatorial district.

“With that I went into the race and I wasn’t even the most popular among the eight contestants, one of who willingly step down based on our meeting with the committee from the national leadership of our party but the delegates, especially from Toro believe in me.

“Since 2003 they first elected me to represent them in the Bauchi State House of Assembly to represent Lame constituency, they elected me again in 2011 to represent Toro federal constituency and reelected me in 2015. I am the only politician elected three times by the people of Toro.

“I never went to Toro to campaign but all the 301 delegates from Toro voted for during the primary based on my performance in my constituency. Though my victory came as a surprise to many, for me it was not a surprise.”

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Gumau said his major achievement as a member of the House of Representatives is being accountable to his people who voted him to represent them saying that achievement of a federal lawmaker should not be measured by the number of motions moved or the number of bills sponsored.

He disclosed that he always made sure that at least 50 per cent of constituency allowances were channeled for projects in his constituency and always perform his oversight work a member of the National Assembly.

He said that he is running for the senate in order to duplicate what he is presently doing in Toro federal constituency in all the seven local governments in Bauchi South Senatorial district.

He said his allegiance is to his people and has never travelled to any foreign country because he would never stoop low to beg to get approval to go on foreign trips because it is just a privilege not a right and “my only right is the right of my people who have voted me again and again.”

On the bye-election slated for this Saturday, he said: “By the grace of God I will win this election because nobody can change the will of God.

“I know how I campaigned and suffered. I was praying for a level playing ground for the primaries of my party and the governor ensured that the process is smooth.

“I went into the primaries with confidence and trust for my people because I know that I would win Toro and Bauchi local governments and once you win these two local governments, you have captured Bauchi South.

“I won because I did my campaign from house to house and God helped me it worked for me.”