Bauchi Emirate Council has suspended the member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi, as the traditional title holder of Wakilin Birnin Bauchi indefinitely.
In a switched reaction, Abdullahi alleged that Governor Bala Mohammed was behind his suspension for refusing to join the People’s Democratic Party after leaving People’s Redemption Party and instead returned to his former All Progressive Congress (APC) saying.
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“When I dumped PRP the governor asked me to join him in PDP but I told that I will return to APC because that was my party and the people that meted injustice on us are no longer there,” he said.
Responding to Abdullahi’s allegations, Mohammed’s special adviser on media, Mukhtar Gidado, called the allegation baseless.
He said the reason for Abdullahi’s suspension was as stated in the suspension letter from the emirate council – disrespect to the emir, the council and the traditional institution.
“Why he did not disclose the issue of the governor asking him to join the PDP until now? He has the right to join any political party and nobody would victimize him because of his choice of party and the governor has nothing to do with his suspension and he should go and face the Emirate Council,” said Gidado.
The suspension was contained in a three-paragraph letter to that effect with reference number BEC/ADM/20/VOL.X
It cited the “unbecoming behaviour” of the lawmaker which amounted to disrespect to the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, District and village heads as well as other traditional title holders in the Emirate.”
The letter specifically made reference to a situation that happened at the Government House on Saturday during the annual Sallah Hawan Daushe held to pay homage to the governor by the Emir of Bauchi and all the traditional rulers in the Emirate.
The Emirate Council faulted his mode of dressing in the presence of the Emir, district and village heads as well as other traditional title holders which the council viewed as grave misconduct and disrespect to constituted authorities.
The letter reads: “After thorough deliberation by the Emirate Council on your actions which are disrespectful to the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, you are hereby suspended as the Wakilin Birnin Bauchi indefinitely until further notice.”
Abdullahi has told Daily Trust that the suspension is politically motivated because “I and my entourage were denied access into the Government House during the Sallah homage to the governor on Saturday.”
Abdullahi has since argued to be given opportunity to explain before the council decides.
“The committee took the decision without hearing my part for fairness because security operatives singled out only me and my entourage from entering the Government House, a situation which compelled me to come down from my horse and treks into the venue of the event.”
Abdullahi added that despite the intervention of some government officials at the gate, “security agents insisting that there was an order from above not to allow me and my entourage into government house but allow all the district heads traditional tittle holders in the emir’s entourage to enter.
“I am not surprised with their actions at government house because I remember vividly well when Governor Bala Mohammed told me that he will personally protest my traditional title of Wakilin Birni before the Emir of Bauchi which is similar with his senior brother’s title of Wakilin Bauchi ‘Alhaji Adamu Muhammad.”
