Bauchi elders back ex-governor for ministerial position

Tribune Online
Bauchi elders back ex-governor for ministerial position

As the clamour by politicians for Ministerial appointments into the soon to be constituted Federal Executive Council heightens, a political pressure group in Bauchi under the aegis of  ‘Bauchi South All Progressive Congress (APC) Elders Forum’ has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to disregard calls by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state  against the proposed appointment of the immediate past Governor of the state, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar as one of the Ministers in the second tenure.

Addressing Journalists on Thursday, Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Bamanga Mohammed flanked by his Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Sani urged the President not to forget those who stood by him and the party in the last general elections and ensured his victory.

According to him, the ex-governor should be given the chance to serve the country in another capacity in view of his loyalty to the party and the role he played towards Buhari’s victory in the 2019 general election.

He added that “Any attempt to cause chaos or trouble in the state by any person or group of people of whatever status or capacity will not be tolerated or condoned by us as elders of the state”.

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“Abubakar is the leader of APC in Bauchi State and is most qualified to represent the state as a minister of the federal republic of Nigeria. Those who want to scuttle his emergence as a member of Buhari’s second term cabinet do not mean the state well”, he alleged.

In the same vein, the All Progressive Congress (APC) Bauchi State has faulted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Chairman Bauchi State Financial Crimes and Injustice, Alhaji Bibi Dogo for petitioning President Muhammadu Buhari not to consider former Bauchi State Governor Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar for a ministerial position or any political appointment.

The position was declared by the Secretary-General, APC Youth Parliament, Bauchi, Comrade Nasiru Nuhu Cigari during a press conference held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa tomb Bauchi

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari should avoid detractors and appoint Mohammed Abubakar as one of his Ministers from Bauchi State to compensate him for the sleepless nights and restless days the former governor endured for the success of APC in the last elections.

According to him,  “we would have continued the long silence, but the smear campaign seems to be assuming a life of its own with the recent purported interview granted by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) through its longtime ghost agents, Bauchi State Coalition against Financial Crimes and Injustice (BACAFCI) and its acclaimed chairman Alh. Bibi Dogo aroused our concern. On June 21, Dogo was reported to have urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to consider former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar for any ministerial or political appointment. Let’s preempt those who might have misled by Dogo’s malicious allegations that his allegations are baseless”.

He said, those making uncomplimentary comments about the former Governor to denigrate him in the eyes of the public and to divert attention from the real issues at stake in the state would not achieve their mission as every right-thinking citizen knows that their allegations are mischievous

Speaking in the same vein, an APC stalwart, Alhaji Mukhtar Mohammed said that they want to correct the misconception by PDP that they cannot influence President Buhari to appoint incompetent and unpopular ministers from Bauchi through undue influence.

Mukhtar Mohammed explained that “We are not out to exonerate the former governor but we cannot fold our hands and allow some few people to mislead the public”

He said that the act of 20 APC lawmakers in the state who refused to bow down to the lawlessness in last week’s election of the Speaker of the Bauchi State house of Assembly seems to further galvanise detractors who have converted the matter into a political weapon against the party leader.

“It is rather unfortunate that those who benefitted most from APC’s government are today in the forefront of the smear campaign against the former Governor and APC in the state”.

It will be recalled that there are speculations that Muhammdu Buhari will appoint APC Governors including Mohammed Abubakar who lost reelection bids in the last election as Ministers from their respective states, news that has elicited reactions and petitions against the move by his political rivals who think that he is not qualified.

Bauchi elders back ex-governor for ministerial position
Tribune Online