By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State, Hon. Musa Zango, Chairman Kauran Bauchi Frontiers has opined that there is nothing wrong in having a fiery and viable opposition in Democracy, but it should be done in a manner that respect the office and the person of a governor but not to destroy him.
Hon. Musa Zango made the assertion in an interactive session with selected Journalists in Bauchi on Friday while expressing his unflinching support to the Governor of Bauchi State, Sen Bala Mohammed’s criticism of President Bola Tinibu’s administration and 2027 general elections.
He said that he decided to react to what he described as “a false claims emanating from a group called RT Hon. Dogara Yakubu beneficiaries where they stated that without Dogara’s support, Sen, Bala would not have been Governor of Bauchi state.”
He added, “Not only Governor Bala, the group also claimed that serving former National Assembly Members, Caretaker Chairmen and Special Advisers, all have been groom under Dogara’s tutelage.
They also stated that Dogara played crucial role In the election of former Governor M.A Abubakar but M.A lost his second term bid due to his fight with Dogara.”
He added that,”They also attempted to exonerate Dogara from the conflict in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro LGAs and claimed that it is through Dogara’s initiatives that peace was restored in the area.”
“The group claimed membership of over 40,000 people which cut across different groups. They said that Dogara did not enrich himself despite the opportunity he had, but instead invested in people,” he added.
Musa Zango added that, “Among other claimes made by the group, is the provision of 2,500 Keke NAPEP, 3,500 motorcycles, empowerment of more than 1000 people with money, provision of Scholarships to more than 25,000 students securing of appointment to constituent in different sectors to mention but a few.”
The Politician stressed that press conference was necessary in order to
set the records straight adding that,”our intention is not to join issues with persons or group of persons who have been making efforts in recent time to overheat the polity, distort the achievements of His Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammad and spread misinformation.”
According to him, “Yes, it is very cold out there for the hungry and desperate Dogara and his Co- travellers, but every
indication is that, they don’t even want to wait for the 2027 elections before testing their popularity or acceptability at the polls.”
According to him,”The comment made by Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammad at the flag up campaign of the LG elections to the effect that President Bola Tinubu’s policies will not take Nigeria to the promise land was viewed by Dogara as an attack to the President forgetting that those policies are inflicting untold hardship on Nigeria’s people.”
” For Dogara’s Information, Governor Bala Mohammed has the highest respect for the office and person of Mr. President, without doubt. Without minding words, we want to state categorically here that Governor Bala’s comment against Mr. President policies need not to attract negative reactions considering the fact that Nigerians have been exposed to abject poverty,” he added.
He also stated that,”Any well-meaning Nigerian will not speak against Governor Bala’s comment because he has shown that he is a patriotic Nigerian.”
While responding to some of the claimed made by the Dogara’s beneficiaries, he said that, Governor Bala Mohammed, prior to 2007 when he ascended into politics, has an illustrious carrier in the Federal Service where he rose to the Director cadre.
According to him, “At that time, Dogara was running errands in Abuja until former Governor Muiazu brought him into political lime light and made him Special Assistant to a Minister. Dogara should remember that in 2007 election, when he contested in the PDP against late Barau Custom of the ANPP, he lost the election, but people accepted the outcome.”
“We want Dogara to make a bold statement on who actually won the election in 2007 if he is a man of integrity as he claimed. In the 2007 election God almighty made it possible for Kuaran Bauchi to defeat then Governor Adamu Mu’azu to emerge as the Senator, Bauchi South. God’s willing, Sen. Bala was later appointed as FCT Minister by former President Jonathan. In 2019 elections where the group Dogara claimed installed Bala as Governor,” he added.
He also stated that,”We challenge Dogara and his cotravellers to come out and mention how he was instrumental to emergence of Kuaran Bauchi as governor? To our knowledge, Dogara only has one vote equal to that of Ladi Mai Kosai. The 2019 election that brought Kaura into power was a collective movement with Governor Bala Mohammad as the commander, so, for Dogara to take credit is a slap on the faces of the electorate who voted for Kaura as their governor. The question now is without Dogara’s support kaura was elected in 2023 with a superior votes despite gang up against him by Dogara and others.”
He stressed that from all indications, Dogara is trying to play God by saying he is instrumental to emergence of Senator Bala as Governor, “we advised the group to inform their pay master to go back to Bible school and acquire more Christian knowledge so that he can understand, it is only God that gives power to whom he likes.”
On the conflict in Tafawa Balewa which the group claimed Dogara brought peace into the area, it is totally false because an average Bauchi man may Know quite well where Dogara belongs to as far as the situation in that area is concern.
Musa Zango stressed that the lasting peace in that area was as a result of legislative approval of relocation of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government headquarters to Bununu during the administration of former Gov. Isa Yuguda saying, “Every citizen of Tafawa Balewa is living peaceful with One another irrespective of tribe or religion, now, for Dogara to take a credit only exposed his ego for power.”
The group claimed membership of more than 40,000 people, “we challenged
them to furnish the world with their membership registration and how they operate and their office location for everyone to know their genuiness.”
“We are challenging the so called Dogara group and their sponsor(s) to a debate on the number of beneficiaries of Dogara Poverty Alleviation Programme,
scholarship for students, appointment secured in the constituency, we want to know statistics in each local government, their religion, number of beneficiaries per local government. Anything short of that, will only Confirm our doubt About Dogar’s sincerity as a former member Dass/T/Balewa /Bogoro.”
The defense the Group tried to make on Dogara link with the removal of Prof
Bogoro as TETFund Executive Secretary, we are sure posterity will judge, but
Dogara should be bold enough as a devoted Christian and swear with holy bible that his hands are clean.
He then said that Bala Mohammed’s developmental project cut across all section in the state and even those in the opposition can testify to that, he has manage the resources of the state through even taken development Dogara’s door step.
The Governor, even before the Supreme Court ruling on local government, is among the few Governors in the country who releases local government funds.
“We are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately appoint Yakubu Dogara as his spokesman in order for him to remain politically relevant. We want to remind Dogara that he who leaves in a glass house should not throw stone as we are ever ready to open a can of worm if he continues to attack Governor Bala Mohammed,” he concluded.
