A political pressure group, Dream Bauchi Project and Lawyers for the Cause of Bauchi has lauded President Bola Tinubu and the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for declining the planned defection of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State to the party.

Speaking on Monday, Prof. Musa Kirfi, the Chairman of the Dream Bauchi Project and his counterpart in Lawyers for the Cause of Bauchi said that the collapse of the merger with Bauchi Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gladdened the people of the state.

Analysing the race to the State governorship, the group declared its support for the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba Umar, who had just announced his intention to contest the seat.

“As bodies of men and women that have for long been involved in the struggle for a better leadership, governance framework and fortunes-changing leadership in Bauchi State, we are adding our voice in support of the governorship aspiration of the Distinguished Senator Shehu Buba Umar.

Meanwhile, appreciating the President, the lauded him and the party Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda for “listening to the concerns of party members who from the word go voiced opposition to Governor Bala joining the party. We say thank you Mr President. We are equally saying well done to the National Chairman of APC Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and the entire leadership for standing by members of the party and the people of Bauchi State on this matter for standing by the truth and justice on this issue.

“You have made the party more popular in the State. The people of Bauchi State are highly socialised and matured politically so when the time comes, we shall say thank you. All we are asking for is let the momentum be sustained and victory is assured by God’s grace.

According to them, the state needed a new break from the “old and narrow arrangement which the Bauchi PDP represents. With the 2027 elections a matter of months away, it is certainly not in the best interest of the state to narrow the conversation to APC, PDP.

“If the truth is to be told, Bauchi State is grappling with many serious issues at the moment such that the focus of the leadership should be directed to providing solutions to these problems rather than dissipating energy on the issue of defection. Afterall, the people of Bauchi are wiser politically that changing the platform by the PDP structure in the state will not earn them any leverage politically.”