Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed says he understands the grievances of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, over his emergence as one of the Peoples Democratic Party’s consensus candidates for the north.
Lamido had lashed out at the PDP Northern elders for picking Mohammed and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki as party consensus Presidential Candidates.
WITHIN NIGERIA reported earlier, northern elders met at the home of former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida and decided on Mohammed and Saraki as consensus candidates after deliberations.
This decision did not go down well with some PDP bigwigs of northen extraction. Tambuwal and Atiku, who are also leading PDP presidential aspirants, have since disassociated themselves from the consensus arrangement.
In his own opposition of the arrangement, Lamido said the northern elders who made the selection do not speak for PDP members in the North.
However, reacting to Lamido’s position on the matter, Mohammed said the former Jigawa governor was entitled to his opinion.
He said the fact that Lamido was not consulted does not detract from the legitimacy of the consensus as other members of the party were involved in the arrangement.
Addressing reporters in Bauchi on Saturday, the Governor said, “People may take it as something that is influenced.
“I have tremendous respect for Alhaji Sule Lamido as a former Governor and who is leading former Governors. He is entitled to his opinion.
“It’s a pity if he was not consulted or if he was not contacted but certainly, he is not the only person in Northern Nigeria.