Adedokun Waliyu 
One of the coordinators of Bashir Machina for Senate campaign, Mohammed Gaskanta, has vowed that the organisation will not support the candidacy of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in the National Assembly election for Yobe North Senatorial District despite yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court nullifying the candidacy of his principal.
On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed the rulings of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal which stated that Mr Machina was the authentic candidate of the party for the district. The court ruled that Mr Lawan was the authentic candidate of the party for the district.
Mr Gaskanta who spoke with Premium Times from his House is Gashua, the hometown of the Senate President also alleged that some supporters of Mr Lawan attacked him after the Supreme Court judgement. He added that the attack would be escalated if the police had not promptly intervened.
He said despite the ruling of the Supreme Court, his loyalty to Mr Machina remained unshaken.
“I have no regret of what happened today at the Supreme Court and I will keep on being a party member of the APC. I am a politician and we politicians expect anything, whether good or bad. What has happened will not change our commitment and support for Bashir Machina.
“I have not spoken with Machina but definitely we are going to sit down and decide our next course of action. But let me tell you something. As we speak now, I am in my house, it is under protection by the police from Ahmad Lawan supporters. Look at the situation now, his supporters have come to attack me in my house so how can I work for him?
He vowed that regardless of the ruling of the court, he and other supporters of Mr Machina will not transfer their support to Mr Lawan.
“This matter is beyond what you can see. Even the governor has to think twice. We were talking about problems before but it is now that we are going to start having the real problem
“Take it from me that Bashir Machina has a lot of supporters in this zone and we are going to come out en masse and vote against Ahmad Lawan. The Supreme Court will not force us to vote for Ahmad Lawan, nobody will force us to vote for him,” Mr Gaskanta said.
However, following the ruling of the court on Monday, the APC in Yobe State has set up a three-person ad-hoc reconciliation committee to reach out to Bashir Machina and his supporters to pacify them.
The State Chairman of the party in the state, Mohammed Gadaka, said that the party will pursue reconciliation.
Mr Gadaka said the decision of the Supreme Court today is a victory for the party in the state and not against any individual, stressing that the party will work very hard to deliver victory at the polls come February 25, 2023.
“Today’s judgement is an in-house matter so we cannot be celebrating for having victory over one of our own. What has happened is within the Yobe State APC house. We are doing this for the interest of the party and not for an individual. When you have a good candidate like Ahmad Lawan, you will be sure that you are going to win the election and that is what the party is all about and that is what, Yobe APC stand for,” Mr Gadaka said.
