2023: I Will Challenge Anyone Except Jonathan– Bala Mohammed

Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhamamd Abdulkadir has said that he has all that it takes to challenge any aspirant running for the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria except former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The governor last month said he will inform Nigerians about his decision to either contest the 2023 Presidential election or otherwise in February. He insisted that he ought to consult “owners of Nigeria who you to have met them at home” before he disclose his resolve to vie for the Presidency or not.

Governor Bala stated this shortly after having a closed-door meeting with former President Jonathan in Abuja.

He said he was not in any way troubled by the prospects of any other candidate in the race to the Aso Villa in 2023.

He said if the party wanted to do justice to all its sons and daughters, a candidate from Northern Nigeria should be given the chance to face whoever All Progressives Congress, APC field as its flag bearer.

The governor is making this assertion bearing in mind that his “political father” Goodluck Jonathan is being speculated to also be nursing the idea of seeking reelection.

He said that the governors of the southern states of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have no iota of excuse for PDP to field a presidential candidate from the south.

He said there was no doubt in his conversation with former president Goodluck that he was being consulted on the matter.

Governor Bala said Jonathan advised him not to withdraw from the race because he might be running for reelection too.

However, he said, “I told him that if he is going to run for the Presidency again, I will not challenge him, and, as a benevolent son, I will not hesitate to relinquish my position on the matter.

“I told him that if he ran, I would not run, even in any party, not just the APC or the PDP. The country will not allow me to run as long as he does.”

Bala assured that although no one can stop him from contesting for the Presidency, there are people who are politically influential like former vice president Atiku Abubakar.

“If Nigerians say they want Atiku, I will support them, but I will challenge anybody in the race for the Presidency up to the last day.

“I think we have taken the time and learnt the lesson that is enough for us to be given the chance to contribute our quota to nation-building and help address challenges of insecurity, poverty and other issues that plague Nigeria,” Bala said.

He said he will continue with his consultations to former presidents, governors, religious and political leaders on his ambition to run for the Presidency in 2023.

The governor is, however, doing all these with the thought of plan B should he not be able to secure PDP presidential ticket.

He said he will copy Sokoto State Governor’s 2019 model to reserve his PDP governorship ticket.