Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar (rtd), has emerged the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate for the 2023 general election in Bauchi State, Northeast Nigeria.
Air Marshal Abubakar, who is currently Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic, polled 370 votes to defeat six other aspirants in the primary election held on Thursday in Bauchi.
Announcing the result on Friday, the Returning Officer and Chairman, APC Election Committee, Alhaji Ali Birninkudu, declared Abubakar winner.
He said 1,020 delegates were accredited and 1,012 votes casted in the exercise.
The returning officer said that Sen. Haliru Jika (Bauchi-Central), the runner up in the election polled 278 votes and Alhaji Nura Manu-Soro came third with 269 votes.
He said Musa Babayo polled 70 votes, Faruq Mustapha scored 26 votes, Mahmood Maijama 8 votes and Prof. Ali Pate got 0 votes, respectively.
In his acceptance speech, Abubakar thanked Allah for his victory, commended delegates and the leadership of the party for the confidence reposed in him.
He promised to work together with other aspirants for the success of the party in the 2023 general election, adding that, “your support is not taken for granted.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one of the aspirant, Al-Amin Mohammed, withdrew from the race few hours to the election. (NAN)