Since the widely reported visit of Prof Nentawe, the National Chairman of the APC, to Governor Bala with Governor Abba of Kano in tow, Bauchi is awash with news of Governor Bala coming to the APC to be its supreme leader — the alpha and omega! Sadly, his coming, at least as per their initial reaction, is not going to be a force for good but a wrecking ball that will kick out bona fide and foundational, loyal members of the APC. Already, Bala’s son, one of his mouthpieces, has threatened, in a Facebook post, the indefatigable and God-fearing State Chairman of the party who’s recently re-elected unanimously, he wrote thusly: “Sai mun waje da kai! Kai din banza kai din Whoopi!” So uncouth! Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. To borrow Wike’s words, conquered politicians coming to APC in good faith won’t start sending signals of destabilisation, fractionalisation, witch hunt, animus and vendetta. Right?
Unsurprisingly, the critical stakeholders of Bauchi State, in a meeting held in Abuja yesterday at the Transcorp Hilton spoke the minds of the entire Bauchi APC family by unanimously and “unequivocally” rejecting the “proposed admission of Bala Muhammad into the APC.”
The reasons for the rejection are not far-fetched. And if, as they say, all politics is local, Abuja, Asiwaju and anyone wooing Bala should listen to the good members of Bauchi APC. We want him not, he knows that and the animosity is mutual.
To start with, Governor Bala is alleged to be a terrorism financier. Indeed, the Asiwaju administration are currently prosecuting officials of Bala Muhammad’s government of terrorism financing at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Barring Bala’s immunity, he’d have been number one on the charge sheet. Needless to say terrorism is the one serious existential threat to the Asiwaju APC administration and Nigeria in general.
Every terrorist and every terrorism financier is an enemy of not only the president, the APC, but also the country at large. Accordingly, doing a deal, a deal with the devil so to speak, will send a wrong signal and undermine the fight against terrorism. The prosecutors in the EFCC, the patriotic DSS personnel and counterterrorism service members devoting their lives to defeating terrorism and it’s financiers will be let down if we in the APC appear to, for apparently political purposes parley with alleged terrorism financiers.
Further, Asiwaju should know that Governor Bala hates him. He spent the last 4 years attacking the president and the first son. They falsely accused Asiwaju of spreading poverty and insecurity amongst other vile attacks. Bala even threatened to go to “war” with the president not long ago. He didn’t want Asiwaju to be president in 2023 and in 2027, his preferred candidate is Goodluck Jonathan. There’s no way Asiwaju will take the place of Jonathan in Bala’s heart. No one ever would: for “after God is Jonathan,” according to Bala!
Bringing Bala to APC will be bringing enemy without to within — akin to “Rufe ƙofa da ɓarawo” as we say in Hausa. He’ll only destabilise the APC from the inside and undermine its electoral prospect as rightly stated in the stakeholders resolutions.
Governor Bala is a forced horse, who can’t be forced to drink. Perhaps until now, he’s an avowed APC enemy, unforgiving to the party who defeated his beloved Jonathan. All his assumed potentials must be weighed against this backdrop. He’s just subdued and conquered, as Wike, the conqueror of Ƙaura rightly proclaimed, and therefore must not be given a blank check to ride roughshod over the bona fide, true, loyal and foundational members of the Bauchi APC.
We recognise the constitutional right to free association of every Nigerian including our governor but a bottom-up approach rather than a forced Abuja-Bauchi ‘auren dole’ in this regard would ensure stability, inclusivity, cohesion, justice and sustainability. If they impose auren dole on Bauchi from Abuja the bride would most likely poison the groom or vice versa — at best it would be a dysfunctional and broken home.
Therefore, we humbly appeal to the president and the party hierarchy to involve the Bauchi State APC Stakeholders in all their discussions and decisions affecting Bauchi State chapter of the APC.
And in the light of Asiwaju’s policy of devolution of powers to states, the APC should consider loosening its grip on state chapters of the party to allow them autonomy on issues affecting their respective state. Direct control of the states by the national executive committee should be discarded. We need to adopt what’s obtainable in the USA where the relationship between National and states chapter of both Republican and Democratic parties is decentralized, autonomous and cooperative rather than unitary and “strictly hierarchical command structure.” I digress.
Bauchi State APC has some of the most loyal and fanatical supporters of Asiwaju, doing a deal in the dark behind their back is worse than a beloved husband doing a deal with a prostitute behind the back of his loyal, dutiful and committed wife. That would be the height of betrayal.
We know the president to be loyal and requite loyalty, just and fair, considerate, we expect him to not put politics above patriotism, he should carefully consider the interests of the foundational members of the APC who look up to him as the inheritor of Buhari. We love Aiwaju and the APC more than ourselves and our love is true, he must not reward our love for him and the APC with betrayal, exclusion, marginalisation, disrespect while unfairly favouring those that are forced to come to APC not because they love the president or the APC but because they’re conquered, stranded and want to shield themselves and their families from accountability.
Yet, for the avoidance of doubt, if Governor Bala wants to be in APC his right to become a member is unquestionable. If Abuja wants him in, so be it. But we distrust this political alliance. So remember, he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.
Undoubtedly, the potential of receiving a governor, even if a lame duck, is tantalizing but it must be carefully managed lest it runs the risk of alienating our two distinguished senators, five House of Representatives members, 10 House of Assembly members, State, LGA and Ward Executive committees members as well as 200 thousand loyal members of the APC.
In the final analysis, we will welcome, wholeheartedly, whatever decisions the president reached regarding Bauchi APC. We’ll continue to love and be loyal to the president because he earns our love, loyalty and trust. We will never forget his role in the formation of the APC, in electing Buhari twice despite all odds and in the sacrifices he is making to make Nigeria a better place for all of us.
May Allah bless us, bless the President, the APC and Nigeria.
Saadu Umar, a lawyer, is the Chairman of Bauchi APC Publicity Committee. saadumaresq@yahoo.com
