Saddique Abubakar, denies appointing 1,000 goons to the Bauchi governorship.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

The assertion that Saddique Baba Abubakar is recruiting 1,000 thugs and militants to threaten his competitors in advance of the 2023 general elections has been disputed by the APC candidate for governor in Bauchi and former chief of the air staff.

His spokesman said in a statement on Monday evening that “this story is ostensibly made up to deceive the average Bauchi voters who are increasingly showing interest in ensuring the success of the All Progressives Congress candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial election, due to the colossal failure of the ruling party to provide the state with purposeful leadership and dividends of democracy in the past three years.”

Abubakar described the news report titled “Ex-Chief of Air Staff, Sadique, Ruling APC Recruit ‘1000 Militants, Political Thugs’ Ahead of Bauchi Governorship Election” as “a humorous political publication trending as news item and published by an online daily.”

To clear up any confusion, Abubakar stated that “the publication in question claimed to have a “security signal” on the indicated recruitment exercise but offered no further information and just referenced a few unnamed “politicians” who definitely provided funding for the publication. An anonymous Colonel of the Nigerian Army was cited by publishers as one of their sources.

The statement claims that after the leadership of the Bauchi State Amalgamated Associations of Butchers, Hunters, Cobblers, Blacksmiths, and Berbers opened the Associations’ State Secretariat in Bauchi, Shehu Aliyu Musa (Barden Gabas of Bauchi), a member of the association, attended a meeting held to congratulate him on his selection as the former chief of air staff’s running mate.

According to Abubakar, “we did not hold the meeting in question until we properly inquired for and obtained the clearance of the Bauchi State Police Commissioner, who was represented at the meeting by an assistant superintendent of police.” Abubakar said this because they were law-abiding people.