In recent days, on the media, public, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and at every twist and turns in Bauchi State, the conversation is about the outpouring strength of the All Progressive Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 elections.
People are surprised with the way the party that suffered serious division in last year’s governorship elections taking new shape, with clear indications it will take back Ramad House come 2023.
Even in 2019, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not actually win the Bauchi state governorship election; APC lost it. The lack of strong opposition meant that the then ruling APC could only direct its energy against itself.
The absence of a credible alternative political platform means that aggrieved members could only survive by fighting from within the party rather than seek refuge elsewhere.
While some of the APC dominions have also maintained that the party did not lose election, the immediate past governor Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar did.
While this may be taken as an obvious attempt to exonerate themselves and the party from the failure of 2019, the party has thrown away whatever may have caused the division and subsequent failure and has bounced back stronger and united.
The party is already controlling the state house of assembly with 22 out of 31 members, has all the three senators and eight of out of twelve members of the National assembly leaving the ruling PDP with only two they recovered after court cases that exempted APC from participating in Gamawa constituency by-eletion.
The party’s incredible energy was straightened with the recent defection of politicians with the most grassroots support in the state.
From Farouk Mustapha, to Yakubu Dogara, Nura Manu Soro, Salisu Zakari Ningi, Aminu Tukur, Shiru Zaki and many others, the ruling-opposition APC in Bauchi state is invariably the strongest opposition party in Nigerian state. Because it has the state’s most influential politicians in its side.
For instance, the former speaker of the house of representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara is the most strategic politician in Bauchi state. His defection caused unprecedented setback to the ruling party (PDP).
As he was followed to the APC by thousands of supporters, including former members of house of representatives and a commissioner in the Senator Bala Muhammad’s cabinet who resigned his position to follow his boss (the former speaker).
Apart from some appointees quitting his administration, which is barely a year in office, many people recall that the incumbent governor also benefitted from a gang-up against his predecessor, Barr. Mohammed Abubakar. The gang-up super headed by Yakubu Dogara payed the price that secured Bala Muhammad a four years tenancy in Ramad House.
Apart from Dogara, APC has the control of Bauchi north in Farouk Mustapha. The former member of the house of representatives is undoubtedly the most populous politician in the zone.
His meteoric rise from a common representative of one local government in the national assembly to the most popular politician in seven local governments is not coincidence.
His style of politics and accessibility to common people make his campaign messages resonating with the masses who saw their own aspirations reflected in him in his amazing grass to grace story.
Similarly, Farouk is representing many of the state’s social categories; the poor has access to him and they feel he was one of them, the young people who constitutes majority of registered voters could feel him, he is always younger than fellow contestants.
When he decided contest for governorship of the state, his growing popularity gave the ruling party serous headache because all the afformentioned social categories rooted behind him as they feel he is bringing the awesome power of a state governor down to them.
Apart from the strength of the APC, the governor of Bauchi state is supplying the blood that gives life to the opposition party, turning it into the formidable foe that is able to abruptly end his tenancy in Ramad House come 2023.
The governor has relegated his administration to basket of scorpion where everyone is stinging another to death.
Prior to Dogara’s defection, many political appointees have conspicuously left the government, while some were kicked out based on divided loyalty.
The Commissioner for Finance, Nura Manu Soro, angrily resigned from office for undisclosed reasons after 35 days in office. Also, barely 78 days after his appointment as political adviser, Alhaji Shitu Zaki, was fired.
The Chief of Staff, Abubakar Kari, reacted to the intense pressures and also quit, while four Caretaker Committee Chairmen of Zaki, Ningi, Darazo local councils were suspended over “lackadaisical attitude to their duties.” Their colleague and Misau council boss was suspended over communal skirmishes.
The governor’s questionable integrity is also manifesting in the way he is managing the affairs of the state.
As captured by Dogara in a letter he sent to the PDP chairman of Bogoro ‘C’ ward, he alleged that N4.6 billion loan, which was sourced from a bank, was routed into the account of a private company, even as he accused the government of inflating contract costs and cash payment of contracts contrary to extant procurement laws.
The former speaker also queried the whereabouts of the local government allocations since Bala Mohammed became governor, regretting that local government election that was promised the people during electioneering remained in limbo after 14 months in office.
Other allegations include segmenting payment of salaries of state workers outsourced to a private firm as consultants, inflating of contracts, awarding and payment of mobilisation done in violation of procurement laws.
In less than two years, the PDP administration in Bauchi state has become irrelevant, confused, clueless, constrained, weakened, drained, and mangled beyond recognition.
Above all, it has ushered in a new set of ancient evils that will signal the death of the state. Barring any change in the way the state is governed, governor Bala Muhammad will becoke second governor in the history of the state to lose reelection.
Mukhtar Muhammad Mk writes from Bauchi.
