Musa Azare
The disgraced former governor of Bauchi State Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar is at it again. This time he took his shenanigans to President Muhammadu Buhari, hiding behind the APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and purported “party interest” after series of rebuffs to entertain the sour loser. It’s like the man has entered into a covenant with himself, to not allow Bauchi have the needed political stability for its progress and development.
It is an open secret that the good people of Bauchi State are not missing him. It is also an undisputed fact that the man had sunk the State to the farthest distance below sea level. It will take a courageous, patriotic and selfless leader to tackle the problems created by the former governor. And from the look of things Bauchi has got that leader in Senator Bala Mohammed. But Abubakar will not just let go.
It is on record that I have criticised the manner in which the leadership of the Bauchi State 9th Assembly emerged. It is also on record that I have cried for justice to be done to former Bauchi House of Assembly Speaker Damina Kawuwa and his team, even though he (Damina) is not a just leader. He has never been one! But when I took a critical look into the imbroglio, I blamed the whole of it on the boisterous disposition of the former governor, and his evil plans to continue to lord over Bauchi State by proxy. “I am the governor of Bauchi State, and I am not ready to share my powers with anybody”, is one of the most popular utterances of the former governor. And now, disgraced out of power by the good people of Bauchi State, he wants Senator Bala Mohammed to share his powers with him. What an impropriety!
It is a common attitude of Nigerian politicians particularly, of Northern extraction to ride on the goodwill of President Buhari in order to deceive the people, or to gain some political advantage. I was dumbfounded that as a lawyer of over 30 years post call experience, Mohammed Abubakar don’t know that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has no constitutional role over matters to do with States. If there are issues to be addressed, the courts are there to adjudicate. In fact, I nearly shed tears for the President yesterday, when I saw him, frustratingly welcoming Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar to the Villa less than 24 hours after this man was accused of money laundering by the EFCC. Such is the Nigeria many of them hiding under fake integrity want. They have succeeded to some extent, in forcing PMB himself to adjust and soften from the hard-line he towed before.
Mr. President and indeed Nigerians deserve to know the truth of the matter in the Bauchi State House of Assembly crisis. As far as the good people of the State are concerned, the matter is now rested. Damina and his team have already voluntarily taken their oath about one week ago, bringing an end to the crisis. It was a move applauded throughout the State. I don’t know what is the position of that oath of office now that they have been forced by Abubakar and Oshiomhole to renounce it. And sadly, they want to cajole the President into endorsing this recklessness.
Mr. President should know that out of the team of 17 legislators that sided with former Speaker Damina, only 7 were brought to the Villa yesterday. The remaining 10 have already entered their offices and are now working hand-in-hand with their new Speaker for the betterment of the people who elected them. Mr. President should also know that it took the fatherly intervention of our revered elders in the State to end this crisis that Abubakar and Oshiomhole now want to rekindle using your good offices. As a believer in the spirit and letters of the Constitution, Mr, President should ignore the unending shenanigans of former governor Abubakar, who seems to have taken a vow to destroy the peace and stability we are now enjoying in the State.
Nigerians should know that Oshiomhole will never stop listening to Abubakar, neither will he stop entertaining his antics. There seems to be a special relationship between them that goes beyond mere party interests. The duo were responsible for the fall of APC in Bauchi State through their arbitrariness that saw the party giving tickets to unpopular candidates who allegedly bought their ways.
Musa Azare
August 8, 2019.
