Bauchi Gov May Dump APC
There is an unsettling quiet across Bauchi state over unanswered and unsubstantiated claims that, the sitting Bauchi state Governor Mohammed Abubakar Esq.is about to defect to either People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or Social Democratic Party(SDP).
A situation Gov. Abubakar’s image makers are not prepared to comment on.
Currently the Governor is a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), the platform he won his governorship on when the Buhari political tsunami came calling.
It is, though, no longer news that, there has been no harmonious relationship among APC stakeholders in the state, due to various claims and counter claims, by party members in government and outside government.
This is because promises and grievances of 2015 electioneering acts are yet to be “settled” as expected by the present executives in government and the party.
Those who were short-changed have been pushing for justice, that the Primaries that produced the sitting Governor in 2015 were characterized by over-voting, vote buying of the delegates.
The above development has led to two major APC groups clamoring for Direct and In-direct primaries at all elective positions in Bauchi state.
The initial declaration by APC National Working Committee adopting direct primaries for all elective posts was responsible for the new dawn in the state.
For example, the last party elective positions for various party executives at Ward, local government and state remain at daggers drawn.
As the 2019 general elections draws near, the general dis-enchantment within the party, paired with un-settled over-flow of unsettled issues from the past seem to be tearing the party apart.
While the Governor of the state and the state party chairman, some members of National Assembly, State House of Assembly members, local government caretaker chairmen, and other political appointees of the Governor, converged at Zaranda Hotel and agreed to adopt the “indirect primary”, the other warring group disagreed.
The aggrieved believed they are part of the stakeholders of the party as per the APC Constitution, and so, took their case to APC national working committee.
This scenario has compelled the partnership of Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Education Minister Adamu Adamu, Customs boss Hamid Ali, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Barrister Ibrahim Zailani, Sen.Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, Capt. Bala Jibril, Prof.Ali, Patte, Sen.Mohammed, Sani Shehu Mallam and a host of others.
The most recent decision by APC NEC to adopt Direct Primaries in 19 states including Bauchi has, according party faithful who spoke in confidence, ”has unsettled Gov. Mohammed Abubakar”.
The NEC decision which appears to favor the aggrieved and APC members’ popular demand in the state, is said to have placed the Governor in a very uncomfortable position, that could lead to his exit from the party.
Unconfirmed but dependable sources have revealed that, the Governor has gone into high wire discussion with Presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar and other top party officials of both SDP and PDP.
Prominent among other unsettled issues are the “merger” of three governorship aspirants of APC in the state, namely Capt. Bala Jibril from Bauchi North, Prof Ali Mohammed Patte, Bauchi Central and Sen. Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame from Bauchi South. “It is giving the Governor sleepless nights and cause of concern”.
The trio, as at the time of this report, have been crisscrossing the state campaigning with a view to un-sitting Gov. Mohammed Abubakar from Bauchi Government House.
