All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Yobe State have pledged their support for the Yobe North senatorial candidate of the party, Bashir Machina.
The stakeholders, under the auspices of Yobe APC Zone C Concerned Stakeholders, commended the doggedness of Mr Machina for refusing to step down for Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
The ruling party’s chieftains endorsement is coming barely a week after another group of supporters staged a rally at Gashua, the hometown of the Mr Lawan, in support of Mr Machina
The senate president who has been in the National Assembly since 1999, is alleged to be making moves within the party hierarchy to have him replace Mr Machina as the party’s representative for the senatorial district in 2023 elections.
The leader of the stakeholders, Abba Maina Yusafari, in a statement said Mr Lawan should be grateful to the people of the district for electing him, making him their representative for 23 years.
He, however, said it is undemocratic for Mr Lawan to be allegedly plotting to replace Mr Machina who won the party’s primary election.
Mr Yusufari said, “We urge our brother, Dr Ahmad Lawan at this juncture to express thanks to the good people of Zone C for the support he has experienced from them since the revival of democracy in Nigeria in 1999 and not to be dragging a senate seat that he abandoned for an eye for the presidency. A piece of cake can’t be eaten twice in the same sitting,” the statement said.
The group said there are six local governments in the senatorial zone and Bade, Mr Lawan’s local government of origin, has held on to the senatorial position since 2007 and that it is time to allow someone from another local government to represent the district.
The statement reads thus, “Gentlemen of the Press, we want to use this opportunity to present this Press Release free of any sentiment but with every sense of duty for the development and unity of our political landscape, Zone C Senatorial District.
“For keen observers of Yobe politics, no one is blind to the fact that our senatorial zone has enjoyed relative political peace and stability both at the House of Representatives and even more at the senate with our brother, The Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan been in the saddle for a record three times. By the end of 2023, our beloved brother Sen. Ahmed Lawan will be spending 24 years at the National Assembly i.e. 16 years as a senator and 8 years as a member of the House of Representative.
“While we remain committed and dedicated to propagating our cherished unity and stability, we also believe that for the interest of democracy, equity, justice and fair play, our brothers from the old Nguru Emirate which now constitutes other three Emirates of Machina, Nguru, and Yusufari should equally have a feel of what our brother Emirate of Bade have been enjoying in the last 24 years.
“Ladies and Gentlemen it is against this backdrop that we make bold to throw our support behind our brother Alhaji Bashir Sheriff Machina to take over from Sen. Ahmed Lawan come 2023,” the statement explained.
It further added that Hon Bashir was picked with the popular support of the people and therefore an attempt of replacement will amount to working against the general agreement of the people of the zone.
“As you are aware, Alhaji Bashir Machina is the candidate that was picked as a consensus candidate of our great party, APC in the just-ended primary elections. Any attempt by Sen. Ahmed Lawan to replace him from the seat will be a complete betrayal of the will of the people and a clog in the wheel of the peace, unity and stability of the people.
“Suffice that the mandate of Alhaji Bashir Machina is the mandate of the people and not that of an individual. The voice of the people is the voice of Allah. We therefore wish to caution that, an attempt to silence the voice of the people by any individual either by his involvement of any type of machination or antics will be running against the concept of democracy and moral fairness.
“We are set to work hard and achieve the success of our candidate Hon. Bashir Machina and the victory of our party at all levels.
“Let it be made plain that we do not subscribe, support or encourage the thought of Hon. Bashir stands aside for the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan whom we supported to emerge as the presidential candidate of our party but Allah in his infinite wisdom made it different.”
