By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
Ahead of 2023 general elections, the Bauchi state Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed has picked a serving House of Representatives member, Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau as his running mate for the gubernatorial elections in the state.
Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau who is representing Zaki Federal Constituency in the state is replacing the incumbent deputy governor, Senator Baba Salihu Tela who is completing his first tenure in the present capacity by May 29, 2023.
It would be recalled that Governor Bala Mohammed and his deputy, Senator Baba Tele manifold into political logjam shortly after their swearing-in on May 29, 2019, and their relationship has ever since become murky.
Gubernatorial running mate in the forthcoming polls, Hon. Auwal Jatau dropped the hint for their alliance with Governor Bala to the press in Bauchi, expressing gratitude for the governor having worthy as mate in the 2023 general elections.
Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, a onetime speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly (2007) pledged his loyalty and support to his new boss, and assured that he would not betray the confidence reposed in him, saying the new colorations would culminate to the PDP victory in the state in the forthcoming general elections.
He said, “I want to use this medium to express my profound appreciation to His Excellency, the incumbent Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed for finding me worthy to be his running mate in the 2023 governorship election in Bauchi State. This is a great honor to me and I want to assure the Governor that I will justify the confidence reposed in me.
Jatau comforted, “No Government in the history of Bauchi State that has performed well like what the Kauran Bauchi is doing to us now, all of us are surprised with the performances of our Governor in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the entire people of the state and we must appreciate His Excellency for making us proud”.
According to him, the 2023 electioneering campaigns which is about to commence, would be based on what the PDP in the state has achieved so far and things that they could do in our second term tenure of the present administration in Bauchi.
Hon. Auwal Jatau further told the press that ‘Insha Allah’ the achievements recorded by the Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed in the present first term tenure would be the key to their collective victory in the outcome of the forthcoming governorship elections in the state.
Jatau therefore assured the people of the state that the performance of Governor Bala Mohammed in his second term would be better than that of his first tenure in the area of execution of projects and urged them to rally round the administration for better service delivery.
It could also be recalled that Hon. Auwal Jatau was the PDP governorship candidate in Bauchi state in the 2015 general elections, but was defeated by the APC candidate, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar who emerged victorious as governor of the state.
The stewardship of Governor Mohammed Abubakar was however ephemeral as he was sent packing after his first term tenure in the 2019 polls by incumbent Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, and it is not vividly clear as to whether or not history could repeat itself in the state in 2023 polls.
