…The Buhari, Amaechi Connection
Aminu Sheriff Daura
Facts have emerged on why President Muhammadu Buhari did not raise a finger to save the former governor of Bauchi state, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar from electoral disgrace in 2019.
Abubakar had done one term but lost his re-election bid for a second term when opposition within and outside his APC party rose against him.
The push from within the APC was roused by Dr. Mohammed Pate, now of the World Bank, and Alhaji Bala Mohammed of the PDP, formerly Minister FCT and now governor of the State.
Sources revealed that Abubakar was the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State when in 2007 the number of votes recorded for President Umaru Yar’Adua in the election was more than the number of registered voters.
Abubakar was said to have masterminded this and the Supreme Court in his judgment then roundly condemned the fraud but still went ahead to give victory to PDP’s Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He was then actively supported by the then governor of the State Mr Rotimi Amaechi.
Over the weekend in Daura, Abubakar was MC at the reception put together to honour Amaechi by friends and associates after the turning. Since losing the crucial second term election Abubakar has disappeared from public glare and tongues have wagged as to what his next political move will be. He could not resist being at the weekend’s event as they have been buddies in electoral manipulations since he served as REC in Rivers State.
Sources close to the President revealed that he never have forgiven Abubakar for his role in rigging Umaru Yar’Adua to power in 2007.
The Supreme Court was said to have been set to pronounce Buhari the winner of the election after looking at the case. Rotimi Amaechi once again came to the rescue of Yar, Adua.
Yar’Adua according to two separate sources, had, three days to the delivery of judgment in the case, summoned PDP stakeholders and briefed them on the possible outcome of the case. The judges, he told his party leaders have decided to give judgment to Buhari. Buhari, he said, is his senior brother and if he becomes President it is the same as he is president.
Amaechi was said to have furiously rejected that. He told President Yar’Adua it was unacceptable and that they will do something about it. He left the meeting and called a meeting of fellow governors. They raised N5billion and induced some of the judges to change and alter their judgment in favour of Yar’Adua.
The two judges who resisted the inducement, Justice George Adesola Oguntade and Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor were both rewarded later when in 2015 Buhari became President with the two most prestigious ambassadorial postings.
While Justice Oguntade became High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nsofor was made ambassador to the United States of America.
Nigerians who do not know why were furious. Nsofor, they said was too old to hold such an important position. Even when he could no longer walk without being held by someone Buhari decided to retain Nsofor. Nsofor eventually died while in office and serving his country, a reward for rejecting the bribe.
Aminu Sheriff, a freelance journalist writes from Daura, Kastina State
