‘I’m not Buhari’s, governor’s anointed candidate’

The candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for tomorrow’s bye-election for Bauchi South Senatorial district, Hon. Lawal Yahaya Gumau, has denied being anointed by the state governor, Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari.

Gumau, who spoke while reacting to allegations that the governor endorsed his candidature while inviting the President to anoint him, stressed that his emergence during the APC primary election was the will of God and appreciation of his antecedents by his constituents.

Addressing journalists at the NUJ Secretariat, the senatorial candidate declared: “I won the party’s primary based on the strength of my manifesto and my record of achievements as a representative of my constituency.”

Gumau, who is currently representing Toro federal constituency in the House of Representatives, said he has never believed in godfather politics, but had always put his trust in God, even as he thanked Governor Abubakar for providing a level playing ground for all aspirants to the APC ticket.

Narrating his journey to emergence as the APC senatorial flag bearer, he said: “Governor Abubakar 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 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 me 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.”

Gumau said his major achievement as a federal lawmaker includes being accountable, contending that the achievements of a legislator should not be measured by the number of motions moved or the number of bills sponsored.

However, he said he always made sure that at least 50 per cent of constituency allowances were channeled for projects in his constituency as well as performing his oversight functions.

He said that he is running for the senate in order to scale up what he is presently doing in Toro federal constituency in all the seven local government councils in Bauchi South senatorial district.

While restating his allegiance to the people, Gumau said he 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.”