THE All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has chosen Mr. Barnabas Yusuf Bala as running mate for the 2015 general election.
The choice of Bala, an architect and current chairman of the APC in the state was said to have followed extensive consultations with senior party figures, former governorship aspirants and elder statesmen across the state.
According to a statement issued yesterday, the party also considered political experience and exposure, within a framework that the embraces diversity, stressing that the party in Kaduna State worked to identify an individual with the talents, intellectual acumen and professional background to be a competent partner to an elected governor.
El-Rufai, while confirming the choice of Mr. Bala to the public, said “I am delighted that a person of Mr. Barnabas Bala’s quality has been selected by the party to share the responsibility of governance with me when we are elected. The APC Kaduna Team demonstrated its resolve to produce a running mate that can be a capable governor in his own right, not a sinecure spare tyre. I welcome and proudly accept the choice of Barnabas Bala.”
Bala holds Master of Science degree holder with distinction in Architecture from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He earned his first degree, with a second class upper in Architecture from the same university in 1979.
He was born in 1956 in Kagoro, Kaura local government area of Kaduna state while his father was schooling in Bible College, Kagoro. But he hails from Randiyam, Manchok District of Moro’a Chiefdom, Kaura Local Government Area.
Bala served as a former local government chairman and also as former member of the House of Representatives. Announcing his acceptance to be El-Rufai’s running mate, Mr. Bala said, “I am humbled by the choice the party has made. I will give my best as a worthy partner to Nasir El-Rufai to deliver the promise of the APC to make Kaduna great again.”
