Group urges APC Senatorial candidate, Machina not to step down for Lawan

By Musa Baba Adamu

Alhaji Bashir Sheriff Machina, who emerged as the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ‘Zone C’ Senatorial District of Yobe State has been urged by concerned stakeholders of the party not to step down for incumbent Sen. Ahmed Lawan ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Recall that Lawan, who was an aspirant for the just concluded APC presidential primary election that produced Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as candidate, has approached Machina to allow him fly the senatorial flag.

Abba Maina Yusufari, leader of the stakeholders, in a press statement, said, “For keen observers of Yobe politics, no one is blind to the fact that our senatorial zone has enjoyed relative political peace and stability both at the House of Representative and even more at the senate with our brother, The Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan been in the saddle for a record three times. By the end of 2023, our beloved brother Sen. Ahmed Lawan will be spending 24 years at the National Assembly ie 16 years as a senator, and 8 years as a member of the House of Representatives.”

He explained that while they remain committed and dedicated to propagating their cherished unity and stability, they also believe that for the interest of democracy, equity, justice and fair play, their brothers from the old Nguru Emirate which now constitutes other three Emirates of Machina, Nguru, and Yusufari should equally have a feel of what their brother Emirate of Bade (the Senate President) have been enjoying in the last 24 years.

The statement further explained that it is against this backdrop that the stakeholders made bold to throw their support behind Machina to take over from Sen. Ahmed Lawan come 2023.

The statement stated that Machina was the candidate picked as a consensus candidate of the APC in the just-ended primary elections, adding that any attempt by Lawan to replace him from the seat will be a complete betrayal of the will of the people and a clog in the wheel of the peace, unity, and stability of the people.

The stakeholders noted that Machina’s mandate is from the people and not that of an individual, saying that the voice of the people is the voice of Allah.

They, therefore, cautioned that any attempt to silence the voice of the people by any individual either by his involvement of any type of machination or antics would be running against the concept of democracy and moral fairness.

The stakeholders stated that they are set to work hard and achieve the success of their candidate, Bashir Machina, and the victory of their party at all levels.

They explained that they do not subscribe, support, or encourage the thought of Bashir standing aside for the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan whom they supported to emerge as the presidential candidate of their party but Allah in his infinite wisdom made it different.

The group urged Dr. Ahmed Lawan to express thanks to the good people of Zone C for the support he has experienced from them since the revival of democracy in Nigeria in 1999 and not to be dragging a senate seat that he abandoned for an eye for the presidency, saying, “A piece of cake can’t be eaten twice in the same sitting.”