BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Barely 24 hours after Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State sacked his cabinet members that include his Chief of Staff (CoS), the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Commissioners and eight Special Advisers, the factors that led to their sack, are being unveiled.
A source close to the workings of the Government House told our correspondent that, the Governor had to take the decision in order to allow more grass root politicians to come in to join the administration ahead of the 2023 politics in the state.
It was also gathered that the dissolved cabinet was made up of not too grounded politicians as most of them are perceived as greenhorns in politics, a situation that may not be too good for Governor Bala Mohammed’s 2023 aspiration.
He added that bigger political bigwigs led by a former governor whose name he refused to mention will soon join the PDP with several of his supporters in order to bolster the aspirations of the Governor come 2023, adding that if not all, majority of the members of the State House of Assembly will defect to the PDP in not too distant future.
On the reconstitution of the State Executive Council (SEC), the source said that only a few of the former Commissioners and Special Advisers will make it back as most of them are perceived to have performed below expectations, stressing that the governor does not tolerate indolence and lukewarm attitudes.
The source further said that one out of the two former SSGs in the person of Muhammad Nadada Umar or Ahmed Dandija would most likely stage a comeback as the next SSG in order to balance the political leadership of the state as the Central Senatorial district is seen as not properly represented in the administration apart from the office of the State Chairman of the PDP.
According to the source; “With the insistence of the North Senatorial zone of the state in producing the next Governor if a new state of Katagum is not carved out of Bauchi State, it is only expedient on the Governor to hold on to the Central district for votes in 2023 if he must achieve his reelection bid.
Contacted for his comment on the development, the spokesman of the Caretaker of APC, Adamu Jalla said that the Governor had reasons for the dissolution of the cabinet, adding that it is possible that the sacked Commissioners were not giving him the expected results or they were too slow for him to work with.
He said; “Whatever, it is his right to choose people who are to work with him. As opposition, I will not say more than that”.
On the insinuation of defection by some of the members of the APC, the spokesman said that people are free to move to any political party of their choice since politics is all about interest.
He said; “May be they have not achieved their political aim in the APC and want to go elsewhere to try their luck”.
Jalla while reacting to the insinuation of a former Governor of the state moving to the PDP, said; “I am not aware of that, but if it happens, good luck to him and his supporters. We are going on to reposition the party to become stronger than it was before 2019 general elections”.
In its own reaction, the Bauchi State PDP the sacking of the appointees will afford the Governor the opportunity to reflect on the journey and make the necessary adjustment needed to achieve his set goals.
The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Yayanuwa Zainabari who spoke for the party said; “When you have many people, there are bound to be different outcomes, negative and positive. Some will be fast while others will be slow. As a party, we welcome what the Governor has done”.
