APC candidate in Bauchi senatorial by-election promises new law to make Buhari president for life

ALHAJI Lawal Gumau the All Progressives Congress's (APC) candidate in today's Bauchi South Senatorial District bye-election has promised to propose new laws that will make President Muhammadu Buhari president for life if elected into office.

Today, voters in the senatorial zone go to the polls to elect a new lawmaker after the seat became vacant following the death of Senator Ali Wakili on March 17. Nine parties are taking part in what is expected to be a keenly contested election, including the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Kowa Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), People for Democratic Change (PDC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Rounding up his campaign, Alhaji Gumau, who is currently the member representing Toro Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, admitted that his only mandate for aspiring to go to the senate is to protect President Buhari’s interest. His main challenge is expected to come from Salisu Ladan of the PDP who is alleged to be backed by the former Federal Capital Territory minister Bala Mohammed.

Alhaji Gumau said: “I, Lawal-Yahaya Gumau, want you to know that the mandate that will be given to me on Saturday is to go and protect Buhari’s interest in the senate. This is the only mandate that I will be going to the senate with, having fulfilled every other mandate to the best of my ability while in the House of Representatives for eight years.

“By God’s grace, we will amend Nigeria’s constitution to allow Buhari to be president for the remaining years of his life. Obasanjo tried all his best for the constitution to be amended to allow him go for a third term but God didn’t approve of it because of its lack of sincerity, so what is now needed in Nigeria is to protect Buhari’s interest and that is what we will do.”

Bauchi south is generally considered as the core of the state and apart from being the largest senatorial district made up of seven local government areas, it is also considered the most educationally advanced part of the state.

Also, Bauchi south is famed to have produced many notable names including Nigeria’s former prime minister Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa, the current speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and is also responsible for producing all the state’s governors since 1999.