The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State at the weekend presented its candidates for the Saturday, August 17, 2024 local government elections, with a warning to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to steer clear of manipulation of the election.

APC’s acting Chairman in the state, Hon. Mohammed Hassan Tilde who gave the warning, said that APC was fully aware of the PDP’s plan to orchestrate electoral fraud as allegedly done in previous elections since 2019.

“We in the APC are ever ready to checkmate the ruling party in the state,” Tilde said.

The APC acting Chairman also cautioned the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) against pitching its tent with the government in power to perpetuate negative electoral tendencies.

He enjoined APC members, particularly its officials assigned to carry out electoral duties at constituencies and polling stations or units to guard against the party’s hard-earned votes.

Tilde maintained that the APC has fielded candidates to all the 20 chairmanship and 323 councilorship seats for the Saturday elections in the state, and expressed confidence that the party will clinch all the seats.

Also speaking, the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Buba Umar assured that nothing would stop the APC from sweeping the votes if the assurance by BASIEC to conduct a free, fair and credible elections was kept.

Senator Umar said, “People, especially the electorate are impoverished about the PDP policies and programmes, being compounded by its corrupt and capitalist tendencies.

“People of Bauchi are very much aware, and are very optimistic that we are going to win these elections”, he added.

The lawmaker explained that the game of outwit between the ruling and major opposition party in the state has just started ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“We are waiting for them; we are out, we are ready, and we are prepared for this election by God’s grace”, the senator assured.

Umar wondered why the PDP government in Bauchi fail to acknowledge all the interventions of the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to the state.

The Senator said, “Twenty trucks of rice were given to the state government to distribute to the populace, where is the rice? Three months ago, about 70 trucks of corn were also given by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, where it is now?” he queried.

He added, “Recently, 70 trucks of fertilizer were similarly freely given to Bauchi State, they ended up selling it at N50, 000 per bag.

“So, this hardship in Bauchi is caused by the Bala-led government in the state. It is a one-man government. I repeat it, it’s a government that is highly corrupt, look at even the ministries, nothing is happening”.

Umar therefore called on the people of Bauchi to come out en masse on Saturday to vote for ‘Hope’ and ‘Change’, expressing optimism that all APC candidates will emerge victorious.