New details have emerged on why Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State suspended Hon. Idrissa Mai Bukar Machina as the Chairman of Machina Local Government Council, just a few weeks after he was sworn in.
Machina, who is the younger brother of the Emir of Machina, Alhaji Bashir Albishir Bukar, was among the 17 local government chairmen sworn in by Governor Buni on June 10, following their victory in the June 8 elections.
The official statement from the government cited acts of misconduct and insubordination as the reasons for his immediate suspension, though it did not provide further details.
However, multiple sources have revealed that the conflict between the suspended chairman and the state government began when Machina refused to comply with Governor Buni’s directive. The governor had instructed all council chairmen to swear in their vice chairmen, local government secretaries, and councillors at their respective local government secretariats. Machina’s refusal to follow this directive sparked a significant disagreement.
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A source familiar with the situation explained, “While the APC in Yobe is firmly under the control of the governor, here in Machina LG, there are factions, with every politician seeking political appointments in this local government.”
The source added that the chairman’s refusal to follow the governor’s directive was perceived as an act of insubordination.
Another source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that Machina’s suspension followed a strong alliance by party stakeholders who were against his political movements.
A senior official from the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs corroborated this account, stating that Machina was suspended due to disloyalty and insubordination.
“He was suspended because they had an issue of disagreement with the state deputy governor, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, over the appointment of the local government secretary,” the official said.
The political landscape in Machina town is reportedly divided into two main factions: one led by Bashir Machina, who recently fought former Senate President Ahmad Lawan for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North senatorial district, and another by the Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Hon. Barma Shattima. The dispute over appointments further deepened this divide.
“The faction of Barma Shattima brought the Vice Chairman of the Local Government, while Bashir Machina was given a slot to produce the Secretary of the LG. But when the secretary of the local government was sworn in, this was rejected by Barma Shattima’s faction. They insisted that the LG chairman comes from former SSG Babagwani Machina, who is an ally of Bashir Machina, and thus Bashir Machina should not also produce the secretary,” the source explained.
With Governor Buni away in Saudi Arabia, the deputy governor, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, directed Machina to halt the swearing-in of the secretary, but Machina refused. This act of defiance was a significant factor in his suspension, the source added.
When contacted over the allegations leveled against him, the suspended LG chairman said, “I just handed over the affairs of the local government council to the vice chairman. There is nothing new in life. Now we are into politics. As you know, we are living with our destiny. Either my suspension is political or not, we thank the state government and our parents. We will obey the government directive on this.”
Efforts to obtain comments from Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu Jajere, the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the deputy governor were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages went unanswered.
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