By-election shocker as President Bola Tinubu’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, lost his polling unit in the Garki/Babura Federal Constituency by-election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Saturday.
Abubakar and Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, both voted in Babura where they were trounced in their polling units during the by-elections conducted in two senatorial districts, five federal constituencies and nine state constituencies in 12 states.
APC lost ground at the ballot box where the Minister of Defence cast his ballot on Saturday at Arewa Primary School Babura Arewa 1in Babura town, with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) scoring 308 while the minister’s All Progressive Party (APC) managed to gather 112 votes. Ahmad’s polling had the APC scoring 22 and the PDP 184.
A political analyst familiar with the dynamics of Jigawa politics said, “This is clear that Badaru, whilst serving in the government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Minister of Defence, has his men, who were seen jubilating after the results were announced in the ward, working for the opposition.
“It took the intervention of the State Governor, who is seen to be performing in terms of project delivery to the masses and improved welfare for all, to rescue the situation and save the APC from total disgrace,” he said.
Abubakar has been under pressure to resign as minister over his inability to add value to the party either in Jigawa State, the North West and nationally, which political watchers have described as his becoming a failure and liability to the government.
The defeat was made worse by Badaru’s henchmen and associates, including Adamu Bala Babura, seen celebrating their party’s losses in their wards.
