Adamawa 2019: Businessman vows to challenge Gov Bindow, gets APC nomination form

Mahmood Halilu, chairman of Hinterland Group of Companies and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in 2015, has obtained his expression of interest and nomination form to run for governorship in Adamawa State.

The aspirant was presented both forms by his group of friends led by Mohammed Taro. Mr Taro said the form was bought by the group of friends.

The aspirant pledged to challenge incumbent governor, Bindow Jibrilla, in the party primaries.

PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday published details of the APC primaries and cost of the nomination forms for APC aspirants. House of Assembly aspirants are to pay a total of N850,000 while House of Representatives aspirants are to pay a total of N3,850,000.

Senate aspirants are to pay a total of N7 million, governorship aspirants a total of N22.5 million and presidential aspirants a total of N45 million.

Mr Taro, while delivering the form to Mr Halilu at his home in Abuja, explained the reason they paid for it on his behalf.

“We decided to purchase this form for you because we know you are a capable person, competent, honest, and trusted and a good leader. Your Excellency, this is your expression of interest, this is a winning gubernatorial form, and at the same time we have collected the nomination.”

Mr Halilu, a 45 years old indigene of Adamawa State, holds a BSc in Business Administration, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Masters in International Relations, all from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He also holds a doctorate degree from Crescent University Abeokuta.

Mr Halilu is one of those expected to challenge the incumbent Adamawa governor, Bindow Jibrilla, for the APC ticket.

“I wish to most sincerely express my gratitude to my friends who gave me this very big surprise this evening,” he said Wednesday evening. “This morning at about 11 in the morning, one of them called me that they are having an emergency meeting and they put together this amount of money and then proceeded to pick a nomination form for me. It’s quite touching and I sincerely like to thank each and every one of them, about 22 of them to have this thing done. I express my gratitude to them and I want to assure them that what they saw in me, will not let them down.”

The Adamawa APC, like its counterpart in many other states, has adopted indirect primaries to select its candidates; a move opposed by many stakeholders in the party.

When asked how he felt about the mode of primary adopted by the state, Mr Halilu said “I am aware but I think this is for the leadership of the party and the national working committee to look at both sides as to which of the primaries to adopt in the state. I as aspirant, whichever way it goes, I am ready.”

Speaking on his plans for Adamawa State, he said “Well I don’t want to blow my trumpet, but at my age, having interacted with people, having lived my life, it’s for the public to judge who am I and it’s very clear, there is distinction in whatever we do .

“There are some vacuums or some things that are lacking in the state which I feel a lot can be done if we have a change in the leadership in the state we’ll alleviate the current situation in the state.”