For 16 months, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has been running the affairs of the state with the state house of assembly dominated by members of opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The 31-member Bauchi Assembly, comprises 20
APC lawmakers, 9 PDP members and one New Nigeria People’s Party
(NNPP).
A seat at the parliament has been vacant following the murder of a lawmaker who was an APC member.
- 20 Bauchi APC lawmakers not decamping – Chair
- IPAC rejects Bauchi LGs poll, calls for fresh election
While the governor is a PDP member, the Speaker of the house,
Abubakar Suleiman is an APC member and his deputy, Danlami Ahmed Kawule, is of the PDP.
The Intrigues
Last Monday, the 20 members of the APC rejected the local
government elections won by the ruling PDP in the state.
The rejection of the outcome of the polls by the APC caucus in the
the assembly has sparked speculations that a battle line has been drawn
between the lawmakers and the governor.
The relationship between the governor and the parliament was cordial until the outcome of the local government election.
On many occasions, the governor had hailed the disposition of
the APC lawmakers towards his administration.
To pundits, winning the 20 chairmanship and 323 councillorship seats has set the governor against the lawmakers.
After an emergency meeting convened on the matter, the APC lawmakers through the Majority Leader, Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, faulted the outcome of the election.
Daily Trust reliably gathered that the position of lawmakers acted following the pressure mounted on them by their constituents.
One of lawmakers told Daily Trust that pressure is
being mounted on them by federal legislators and senior political office holders at the federal level.
“A meeting was held in Abuja one week before the election. It was attended by senior political office holders at federal level, members of federal legislature and some state legislators. Funds were sourced
and strategies were mapped out on how to win the local polls at the meeting,” the source said, pleading not to be named.
“Nothing against the Governor”
Speaking with Daily Trust, the majority leader of the house, Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, said they have nothing against the state governor.
“There is nothing like impeachment move in the assembly over the issue. Go and read our statement we make boldly that the state government did not do justice in the election and we voice our grievances. In politics everybody is protecting his interest and we have make our position and the view of our teeming supporting public.
“We have advised all the affected candidates to seek legal redress as civilised and law-abiding people, we will not instigate or cause violence because of losing election,” he said.
Minority’s Position
On his part, minority leader of the house, PDP’s Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo said that the position of the APC lawmakers was their opinion which they are entitled to.
“Our relationship as members of the house of assembly is cordial and peaceful. In fact, we even cracked jokes with the majority leader on the election,” he said.
On the alleged move to impeach the governor, Bobbi said, “You cannot impeach a governor without genuine offence and at the moment which offence did the governor committed? Secondly, you cannot impeach a governor until you have two-third majority and the APC don’t have two-third majority in the house. So the issue of impeaching the governor is not feasible and the members are not even talking about the issue.”
In a telephone interview, Deputy Speaker of the house, who is a PDP member, Ahmed Kawule, said that the APC lawmakers’ opposition to the outcome of the local government polls has not affected the smooth working relationship in the assembly.
“The issue of impeachment of the governor is being spread by some people out of mischief to cause unnecessary distraction. The position of the APC lawmakers on the outcome of LGA election has nothing to do with impeachment of the governor. It is just politics because it has become a tradition of politicians whenever they lose election, they claimed that the election is rigged against them,” he said.
What the Speaker Said
Contacted, the Speaker of the house of assembly, Abubakar Suleiman said there was no plot to impeach the governor.
Suleiman, who reacted through his spokesman Abdul Ahmad Burra, said that the speaker attended the APC lawmakers meeting and agreed with the position of the caucus.
Governor’s response
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Bala Mohammed on Media, Mukhtari Gidado, said that the position of the APC lawmakers was just mere allegation.
“We don’t have any problem with the APC lawmakers as a government,” he said.
On the issue of impeachment of the governor, Gidado said, “We don’t know anything about the impeachment plot in the assembly. The state government is having good and cordial relationship with the lawmakers.”
However, correspondents have gathered that some heavyweight
politicians from the opposition are plotting the impeachment of
the governor.
It was gathered that the forces had recently commenced hatching
the plot through a petition by some stakeholders from Bauchi State
who have dragged the governor to Economic and Financial Crime
Commission (EFCC) over alleged corruption.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
