From Khalid Idris Doya, Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Monday cast his vote in the ongoing local government elections in the state, commending the peaceful and orderly conduct of the exercise.
The governor voted at his polling unit in Bakin Dutse, Dan Kungibar ward, in Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi accompanied by his wife, Aisha Bala Mohammed.
Speaking shortly after casting his vote, Governor Bala Mohammed described the atmosphere at the polling unit as peaceful and serene, urging voters across the state to maintain the same spirit throughout the exercise.
“I have cast my vote here with the people of this locality, and the place is very peaceful. We can see an atmosphere of serenity this morning.
“We appreciate Allah (SWT) for the peace and spirit of love here at the polling unit. There is no rancour; everything is orderly, and I expect everyone to maintain the same atmosphere,” he said.
The Governor called on those who would emerge victorious, urging them to govern with the fear of God and prioritise the welfare of the people at the grassroots.
“We are grateful to God, and we wish those who will emerge victorious a successful tenure. They should govern with the fear of God and understand that local government is where everything happens because the majority of our people live in the local government areas, not in the state capital.
“That is why we are making every effort to ensure good governance at the local level,” he said.
Governor Bala also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to conducting local government elections whenever they are due, saying the practice had helped strengthen democratic governance at the grassroots.
“l”Since we came into office, we have never skipped any election cycle. Whenever it is due, we hold elections, no matter what.
“I am fulfilled because the culture of democracy and democratic governance at the local government level has been entrenched. Everybody is conscious of it, and I believe what we are doing is continuously improving the quality of human capital coming forward for election,” he said.
According to him, the growing participation of educated professionals in local government politics is an indication of increased interest in grassroots governance.
“Today, we have people with PhDs, master’s degrees, university degrees and diplomas participating in local government politics. You hardly found such confidence in the past.
“Because of what we have done to ensure local government autonomy, we are giving them more resources, and a lot of activities are taking place in the local councils. As a result, people are becoming more interested, and that is the beauty of democracy,” he added.
Mohammed further said the state was generating more revenue and ensuring that a greater proportion of such resources was channeled to the local councils to support development at the grassroots.
Expressing gratitude to the people of Bauchi State for their continued support, Governor Bala said he was confident that his administration would leave office peacefully after completing its tenure.
“I am grateful to God and to the people of Bauchi State for giving us the opportunity to lead. I am very proud of the support we are receiving from the people.
“Since yesterday, people have been coming to express their gratitude, and as they show gratitude to us, we also show gratitude to them.
“It would appear that we will leave office in peace, and by the grace of God, I hope to bring somebody from my party who will take over from us and continue the good work we are doing,” he said.
He attributed the peaceful political environment in the state to the conduct of what he described as credible party primaries, noting that many candidates emerged through consensus.
“That is why we conducted very good primaries, and most of those who emerged did so by consensus, without rancour. We do not want to open the floodgate of controversy and dissension.
“We are grateful to the people of Bauchi State for giving us the opportunity to serve,” he said.
On his expectations from the election, Governor Bala expressed confidence that the Allied People Movement (APM), the new political platform backed by his administration, would emerge victorious.
“My expectation for the election is victory for the APM, the new party. This is a testing ground because it is the first time the party we have brought on board is participating in an election,” he said.
The Governor also criticised political parties and candidates who withdrew from the election, saying participation was necessary to test their popularity among the electorate.
“I can see that some people are cowards. They have even withdrawn from the election because they know they will lose. They are disconnected from the people and have not campaigned. You have been following our campaign trails,” he said.
He added that political parties should not rely on external influence to win elections, insisting that democratic elections should be determined by voters.
“If they had listened to my advice, they would have gone ahead to test their popularity. If you sit at home and think the Federal Government will give you the latitude to win an election, President Tinubu has shown that he is a democrat.
“You have seen what happened in Osun, where the people voted and their votes counted. People should understand that there is nobody who is going to install them. There is no monarchy here; this is democratic governance,” he said.
Governor Bala congratulated all political parties participating in the election, saying the state government remained committed to providing a level playing field for all contestants.
“To all the parties participating with us, I congratulate you. I believe other parties will also win the election. Our responsibility is to provide a level playing field.
“I am highly grateful that this election has taken place, that some parties participated, and that we are ready to live and let live and ensure that the people are allowed to exercise their universal suffrage,” he said.
