Gov Isa Yuguda
Amid speculations that some northern governors serving on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are actually working for the emergence of the opposition leader, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to succeed President Goodluck Jonathan in the comingbelections, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has stated that “I am not in PDP to tell the president that I am with him and will turn round to do something against him as the president and leader of my party.”
The close ally of President Jonathan, who stated this while being interviewed by Vanguard further affirmed thus; “That would amount to betrayal and betrayal is one of those things that is forbidden by Islam. I will never be a party to that. I would rather have told President Jonathan face to face, just like the other governors who left had done that they would not work with him and I would have walked away rather than remain in the party to work against him.”
Admitting that it is not possible for Nigerians in Bauchi not to vote for Jonathan and Buhari during the election in today’s Nigeria, the two-time Governor of the State, however assured Nigerians “that Jonathan will win in Bauchi to enable him to continue the good work that he is doing in Aso Rock. In that case, I want to assure the president that he cannot lose election in Bauchi State when I am the field commander.”
When tasked to speak on the purported stoning of President Jonathan’s convoy when his campaign train visited Bauchi State, Yuguda said, “I want to say that I am not aware of the destruction of vehicles during the rally. All I am aware is that at the time when we were at the venue of the rally, there were some incidents of some youths throwing missiles at the podium when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory was speaking.
“That I knew about. Again, at the time I came with the president and we were going round, some miscreants pelted us with some stones. Also, as we drove into the town with Mr. President, some youths were organised to raise brooms as our convoy was passing by.
“That I know was organised ostensibly to give the erroneous impression that Isa Yuguda is hated by his own people. But that is not the true position. I think the social media carried some clips that seemed to suggest that there was stoning of some people on the podium.
“But I want to assure all Nigerians that President Goodluck Jonathan was not stoned at the Bauchi Stadium on the day he came to campaign there. I was also not stoned while making my own speech on that day. In fact, when the president stood up and shouted Asalamilekum, everybody stood up and answered him and when I came and shouted, “Nigeria!” the same crowd rose and answered, “Sai Jonathan” up to five times.
“That was the reaction of the people of Bauchi to Mr. President when he came campaigning in the state that day. So, that goes to confirm the acceptability and the support that Mr. President has in Bauchi as against the impression being given by some persons that he was stoned and rejected in Bauchi. That is far from the truth and Nigerians should know that.
“Mr. President is definitely welcome in Bauchi. If that was not the case, I would have told the President and pleaded with him to allow me go elsewhere. But to the extent that I know the people of Bauchi are with me I have the comfort to tell the president that I am with him,” he stated.
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