8th September, 2014
Former vice president and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has congratulated Senator Bindow Jibrilla following his emergence as the governorship candidate of the party on Sunday 7 September. Atiku who urged other members of the party to accept the outcome of the primaries described the process as ‘free and fair’.
Jibrilla won after polling 2718 votes to defeat his closest rival, Alhaji Ibrahim Mijinyawa Yayaji 2268. It is believed that Yayaji is the preferred choice of Atiku for the election while supporters of former governor Murtala Nyako backed Jibrilla.
Jibrilla, who is from the Adamawa North Senatorial district just like the candidate of the PDP, acting governor Umaru Fintiri will square up at the Governorship election slated for 11 October 2014.
In a statement signed by the media office of the former vice president, on Monday, Atiku noted that the APC in Adamawa conducted a free, fair and transparent primaries devoid of any rancour and he signalled his intention to work together with Jibrilla to wrestle power from the PDP in the state.
The former vice president who voted in Jada Ward 1 in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa called on the other contestants to rally support for Jibrilla in the interest of party unity and dislodging the PDP in the state.
The Turaki Adamawa said that as a democrat, he has accepted the result of the APC primaries and urged other party members to follow suit.
“As a democrat, I accept the outcome and ask all party members in the state to do the same. As members of a truly democratic party, the outcome of the election is binding on all party members and we must all work to pull our support behind the flag-bearer of our great party during the governorship election.
Atiku stressed that the APC primaries in Adamawa state was not a personality contest, but a rescue mission, which will pave the way for the transformation and economic development of the state and the wellbeing of its citizens.
According to the former VP, “it is a mission which all patriots and friends of the state must be a part of by ensuring victory for the APC in the October 11 election.”
Also, the acting governor of Adamawa state, Umaru Fintiri in the early hours of Sunday was declared winner of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary.
Fintiri won by over 60 per cent of the votes at the poll conducted by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole.
Dr Ahmed Modibbo, a former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission finished second while a former military administrator of Lagos state, Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa came third.