Career
In the 9 April 2011 elections, Saleh"s competitors were the former executive secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Hamisu Yusuf Abubakar (Mairago) of the People"s Democratic Party (PDP), and Hajia Halima Aminu Turaki of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). During the Presidential elections on 16 April 2011, there was an attempt by youths in Kaduna to provoke an incident when Vice-President Namadi Sambo of the PDP arrived at a polling station to cast his vote. Saleh supported the authorities in suppressing the incident, saying "We must respect constituted authority.
Even our tradition ask us to respect our elders".
He again praised the conduct of the election, describing it as a model.
