… Says; “I’m not negotiating to join APC”
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Against the backdrop of insinuations making the rounds, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has declared that he has never contemplated leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) let alone joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Mohammed while denying any involvement in any negotiation whatsoever with the APC, stressing that he has no intention of doing so.
He pointedly said that he considers talks about decamping to another party and all the permutations about 2023, as unwholesome distractions.
Governor Mohammed specifically said that nothing of such has either taken place or happening with him now or in the future.
These were contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Muktar Gidado in which he said that the story is a disingenuous speculation driven by a clear marketing urge, to feed the appetites of readers whose hunger for salacious political news has been fuelled by the movement of the Ebonyi State Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, to the APC and the spate of political alignments and realignments in the country.
The statement further states; “We wish to state that His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed preoccupied with fulfilling those campaign promises, on the basis of which the good people of Bauchi State supported him, to defeat an incumbent administration.
“It is to the credit of the Bauchi political elite that, despite the division between the Legislature and the Executive arms of government in the State, each controlled by a different political party, they have constructed a novel bipartisan arrangement whereby the Government of the State is jointly run, in the war against hunger, hitherto disenabling infrastructure deficit, the near collapse of education and petty crimes.
“To any patriotic politician, a huge challenge of this nature calls for full time engagement and not political fortune hunting.
“In addition, it is his considered opinion that, not only are such talks premature but that it is the height of insensitivity, to the yearnings of the electorate for transformational change that will lift them, from the nadir of despair to a new era of guaranteed security of lives and property, economic prosperity, political stability and national unity”, the statement further contained.
Mohammed therefore urged his supporters, members of his political family and all the good people of Bauchi State to ignore the report as it has no substance whatsoever.
“The Governor wishes to reassure the good people of Bauchi State that his Administration is firmly focused on ensuring the good life for all irrespective of party affiliation, gender, tribe or creed”, the statement said.
Governor Mohammed reacting to a front page story of November 20, 2020, by Thisday newspaper which alleged that he was among three Governors, elected on the platform of the PDP that are negotiating to join the APC.
