Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) re-scheduled governorship primary election after his failed attempt at the party’s recently concluded presidential primary a week ago on May 28.

The returning officer and chairman of the governorship primary election committee, Murtala Damagum, announced Mr Mohammed’s victory at the end of the exercise held on Saturday in Bauchi.

He said the governor, being the sole contestant in the election, polled 646 votes out of the 650 accredited delegates.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Mohammed appreciated the party and the delegates for the smooth conduct of the exercise. 

He said the party would sweep polls in the upcoming general elections, adding that “we have impacted positively through infrastructure provision and good governance in the last three years of our administration.

“Politics is a nice game, we will continue to play politics with decency, decorum and not a do-or-die affair,” he said.

The re-scheduled governorship primary is sequel to the voluntary withdrawal of Ibrahim Kashim, who won the May 28 election in the state.

Mr Kashim, who was the Secretary to the State Government, resigned his position, joined the PDP governorship race and polled 655 votes to emerge as its flag bearer, while Mr Mohammed sought the presidential ticket of the party.

Sequel to the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as PDP’s presidential candidate, the governor returned to the state to seek re-election for a second term in the 2023 general elections.

The party subsequently fixed June 4 for a fresh governorship primary election with Mr Mohammed as the sole candidate.

(NAN)