A group under the All Progressives Congress, the APC ‘Zone C’ senatorial district of Yobe state, have thrown their weight behind Bashir Sheriff Machina, who emerged as senatorial candidate and refused to step down for Senate President Ahmed Lawan in the 2023 general elections.
Lawan who aspired for the just concluded APC presidential primary election but lost to former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, had approached Machina to allow him fly the senatorial ticket.
In statement signed by the leader of the group, Abba Maina Yusufari, on Tuesday, the APC group backed Machina on his decision not to step down for Lawan
The statement reads: “We are here to make these 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 Representative 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 ie 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”. Yusufari stated.
“It is against this backdrop that his group make bold to throw their support behind their brother Alhaji Bashir Sheriff Machina to take over from Sen. Ahmed Lawan come 2023.
“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 the people.
“Suffice that the mandate 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 standing 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.
“We urge on our brother, Dr. Ahmed 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.” Yusufari concluded.
