By Nuel Suji, Abuja.
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Bala Mohammed has described as “simply irrational,”comments by Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda, alleging that he (Bala) sponsored thugs to stone and embarrass President Goodluck Jonathan during the presidential rally in Bauchi, last Thursday.
In a statement by his Media Assistant, Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi, the Minister said that the claim by “Yuguda has proven correct the allegation that he has been hobnobbing with the APC at night and running with the PDP in daytime.
The question that the Governor must answer quickly without equivocation is: why did the thugs not stone him (Yuguda) whilst he was addressing the same rally, on the same podium and on the same day?
“Yugudu should also tell the world why he has suddenly turned into an APC spokesman, by exonerating the opposition party of culpability in the attack of the PDP presidential campaign team in Bauchi.
“Many Nigerians still remember recent media reports that Yuguda is the real godfather and sponsor of the APC gubernatorial candidate in Bauchi state and that he has not been campaigning for President Jonathan’s re-election in the state. Again, History is there to expose the Governor as an unabashed 5th columnist in the PDP.
“It would be recalled that the first attack Senator Bala Mohammed received for wholeheartedly supporting Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (then Vice President) was in 2010. The same Yuguda, early in 2010, did everything humanly possible to recall and politically annihilate Bala Mohammed from the National Assembly as the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District.
“Bala’s only sin was that he mobilized fellow lawmakers to invoke the famous ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ to confer powers on the then Vice President Jonathan to act as President while former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was away in Saudi Arabia receiving medical attention.
“The second attack of the FCT Minister by Yuguda came later again in 2010, when he deployed enormous energies into creating all manner of obstacles to block Senator Bala Mohammed’s return and re-registration as a member of the PDP in his native Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State. Again, that attempt was futile as it failed disastrously for Yuguda. Since then, Senator Bala Mohammed has become a force to recon with at the highest echelon of the PDP.
“Furthermore, in 2011 political thugs who were protesting the victory of President Jonathan in that year’s presidential election razed down a two-storey building belonging to the FCT Minister and nearly killed his mother and other relatives in Bauchi. The thugs touched none of the property of Governor Yuguda. The simple reason Senator Bala’s house was torched and his relatives traumatized was the unequivocal support and contributions to President Jonathan’s electoral victory.
“On Thursday, 22nd January 2015, those who are conversant with the negative trend of Bauchi politics since the Yuguda era were not surprised when the FCT Minister paid another price for supporting President Goodluck Jonathan. Sen. Bala Mohammed was stoned and assaulted by political thugs while he was on stage passionately addressing the PDP presidential campaign rally. Those behind the attack on Bala Mohammed clearly are those who do not want his star or that of the President to shine. Unfortunately for them they are too late on that mission!
“All that said and done, the minister has no apology whatsoever for consistently supporting his principal, Dr. Goddluck Ebele Jonathan. He supports him because he believes in Nigeria’s oneness and peace as well as the Transformation Agenda of his Administration. The Hon. Minister will never be deterred by attacks on his person and/or malicious fabrications by selfish, mischievous and insincere politicians.
“Senator Bala Mohammed has consistently repeated that politics is not a do or die affair, hence he sacrificed his gubernatorial bid to allow peace to reign in Bauchi State. He is also sharply aware that this is the time for everyone to focus on issues that would promote rancor-free campaign and elections to ensure victory for the PDP. It is on these bases that it would be ridiculous to suggest that Senator Bala would hire thugs to attack the PDP and discredit the Governor in the state – more so, because he (the Minister) is not contesting any position with the Governor.
“Finally, we wish to state categorically that based on his personal convictions and principles, Senator Bala Mohammed cannot sponsor thugs to stone himself or his boss. We therefore enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to completely disregard Yuguda’s outrageous allegation.
“In fact, anyone who believes his wild allegation would believe anything! By Yuguda’s latest embarrassing conduct, he has successfully exposed his chameleonic character as an APC mole in the PDP. We call on Isa Yuguda to please respect himself by leaving Sen. Bala Mohammed alone,” it said.
