Bauchi Guber: APC Stalwart drums support for Air Marshal Sadiq
By Mohammed Kaka Misau
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bauchi, Hon Sulaiman Bala Gumau has thrown weight to the gubernatorial aspiration of former Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar.
Bala Gumau who was speaking in an exclusive interview with our Corresspondent yesterday described the ex-Air force Chief as household name in Bauchi whose leadership qualities endeared him to the people of Bauchi state.
Gumau who is a former Special Assistance on empowerment in Bauchi said he started politicking since 1999, adding that he contested for Toro LG chairman in 2008 but could not succeeded.
“During Isah Yuguda he appointed me S.A on empowerment, National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) before I contested for House of assembly position in 2014 for Lame in the state assembly but still lost, since then I have been into political arena to date and we are in full support of Retired Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar of the APC to become the governor in 2023”, he said.
Gumau maintained that the retired Air force chief has during his service contributed immensely to the development of Bauchi state.
According to him, initially, their preferred candidate have no interest in politics until many Bauchi citizens started calling on him to come out and contest for the governorship seat.
“The calls on him by the good people of Bauchi state to contest is not unconnected with his numerous achievements during his time in the Nigerian Air force and even after he retired”, Gumau noted.
The APC chieftain stated that the ex-Air force Chief has been helping a lot of people to achieve their desired destiny.
“This is somebody that when you call his name in public even a small boy will tell you that he is our incoming governor in 2023”, Bala Gumau pointed out.
He listed some of the achievements of his preffed candidate to include, siting of Air force base in Bauchi, Air force Hospital which he described as one of the best in the country.
“He has help many Bauchi indigenes to get recruited into the Nigerian Air force. We also have the proposed Air force University which has already been completed and we are hopeful that it will soon take-off soon and many other achievements”, Gumau further explained.
According to him, “His decision to contest for governorship seat in Bauchi is as a result of numerous calls by well-meaning people of the state, and thank God he has accepted those calls to contest, and by the will of God, victory is assured come 2023”.
Gumau said “even before M.A Abubakar came on board, our wishes were that Air Marshal Sadiq should voluntarily resigned and contest for governor of Bauchi state, but thank God he has now retired and have joined politics and we are sure that he is capable of winning the governorship election in 2023”.
The APC Stalwart while calling on the people of Bauchi state both Young and old to see reason in electing Sadiq as governor, opined that he has empowered many people even when he was not involved in politics.
“When you look at the empowerment of youths and women, I myself have on behalf of Retired Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar distributed empowerment items to more than 500 beneficiaries, 10,000 naira each in Toro local government area, you can go and confirm”, Gumau boasted.
He said even before venturing into politics, Sadiq has been helping people through his foundation, adding that a lot of people have benefited from free medical treatment.
“He has been doing it silently, he doesn’t want to make it public, it’s just because of this discussion I am having with that is making me to say it publicly”, Bala Gumau said.
He called on the good people of Bauchi state to focus on who will work towards bringing development to their door steps instead of voting for those who will want to buy their votes with nothing to offer after winning election.