Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara has advised the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to do all they could to dealt with vote buyers in order to have a clean and legitimate election that will usher in a new democratic governor In Bauchi State.
Dogara expressed hope that the people of the state will vote out the incumbent Governor Bala Mohammed.
He spoke on Saturday in an interview with journalists at his hometown of Gwarangah, Bogoro Local Government Area of the state shortly after casting his vote.
On his expectation of the outcome of the election, Dogara said he expected the people.of Bauchi State to vote out the incumbent governor.
“Well let me say my expectation is that as we have always done in Bauchi nobody teaches us how to librate ourselves from the grip .of bad government and this (the ruling People’s Democratic Party in.the State) is one of them,” he said.
“l expect the people of Bauchii to come out enmass to say that they have rejected Governor Bala Mohammed.’
He however alleged that the Governorship and State Assembly Elections in Bauchi State were being marred by vote-buying.
“Massive vote buying is going on across polling units in the state and we have briefed the security operatives about the development,” he said.
“From the information we have received there is massive vote buying in Alkaleri and in Darazo. The same thing is happening in some local government in Bauchi north.
“I hope the EFCC and security agents will be able to deal with it so we can have a free and fair election.
“We want to set a precedent that once we elect a governor and he is not delivering, we have maximum of four years until we find someone who delivers, someone whose priority is the workers, someone whose priority is the economy of the state and someone whose priority is the transformation of the state.
“I don’t see Bauchi people endorsing failure”.
Dogara said the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar who he is supporting will only accept the outcome of the Governorship Election in the state if it is free and fair.
“We know how elections are conducted,” Dogara said.
“Once the election is free and credible we shouldn’t have any problem.
“Everybody should accept because the people ultimately determines who wins.
“We will assess the situation. If the vote buying is too bad or intimidation is bad as we have seen in one polling unit in Tafawa Balewa where somebody imported thugs and they even deflated the tires of INEC vehicle. The guy who imported the thug belongs to a support group of the governor.
“So it will be foolishness to accept the outcome of the election if it is marred.
“That would not translate to the will of the people and it will not give the government the legitimacy to rule.
“We want a situation where Bauchi people will be the ones to decide who will govern them .
“If the malpractice overwhelmed what we call decency in terms of election l would advised my candidate to stand up and challenge it and fight for Bauchi people until the mandate if stolen, is restored.”
