Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress in Yobe have urged governorship aspirants in the state to accept the endorsement of Alhaji Maimala Buni, by Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam as the preferred successor.

The party chieftains, who made the call on Sunday in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Damaturu, said the governor acted on the directives of party stakeholders to nominate the governorship flag bearer for the party.

Alhaji Aji Bularafa, a party chieftain in the state, said the endorsement of the incumbent APC National Secretary, Alhaji Maimala Buni, by Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam, reflected the collective position of all stakeholders who passed the resolution in an enlarged meeting.

“As stakeholders, we are committed to the collective interest of the state as against personal interests; we are interested in someone who would improve on the people-oriented legacies of the Gaidam administration,” he said.

Bularafa urged the party leadership to continue reaching out to the aspirants and convince them to step down, so as to have a consensus candidate.

“It is in our interest to have our aspirants emerging as consensus candidates without going for elections and this is possible when the other aspirants withdraw their candidature to go with the position of the stakeholders,” he said.

Alhaji Abubakar Kyari, another chieftain of the party, described speculations making round that Sen. Bukar Ibrahim had conceded his bid for re-election to Gov. Gaidam as “a very welcome development”.

“The news that Sen. Bukar had conceded to Gov. Gaidan to contest the Yobe East senatorial seat is heart-warming and in the interest of the people.

“The party stakeholders and supporters will appreciate other contenders placing our collective interests over and above their personal interests,” Kyari said.

Alhaji Bala Musa, APC chairman, Potiskum Local Government Area, said “although the aspirants have constitutional right to aspire, l will advise them to drop their ambitions and go with the popular position of the stakeholders.

“It will be commendable of the aspirants to go with the mainstream decision of the stakeholders, concede their aspirations to strengthen party unity so as to avoid disaffection and disunity in the party,” Musa said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Gaidam said he nominated Maimala Buni based on the mandate given to him and the quality of leadership he saw in the nominee, to continue with the development agenda of the state.

The governor, who spoke at a youth forum in Damaturu on Saturday, however said everybody had the right to contest against the preferred candidate but could risk defeat.

“Every aspirant has the right to aspire for any position; we would conduct primaries and we have the right to defeat those contesting against our endorsed aspirants,” Gaidam said.