Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed
By CHRISTIANA LOT, jos –
A coalition of legal professionals under the aegis of Lawyers for the Cause of Bauchi (LAWBA) has raised alarm over alleged plans by Governor Bala Mohammed to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group warned that such a move could compromise ongoing corruption investigations involving top officials in his administration.
Speaking at a press conference in Jos on Monday, LAWBA Vice Chairman and Programme Secretariat Coordinator, Usamat Adams, said they had to suspend a scheduled trip to Abuja to follow up on petitions before the EFCC and ICPC due to the urgency of the matter.
“We believe we are speaking the minds of the majority of the citizenry in Bauchi when we advise the APC-led Federal Government and the national leadership of the APC to be extremely careful and circumspect in handling the touted defection of Governor Bala Mohammed to their fold at this material time, given the circumstances,” Adams said.
He noted that while the governor has the right to associate freely, citizens are worried about how anti-corruption agencies would handle sensitive cases if he joins the ruling party.
“What is of greater concern, interest, and importance to the populace in Bauchi State is how the EFCC and ICPC’s engagement on corruption cases against his administration and its officials will fare going forward if, at the end of the day, he defects to the APC,” he stated.
Adams recalled that the governor and a family member had faced corruption allegations before he took office in 2019. He said the immunity Mohammed currently enjoys has stalled prosecution in those cases.
“As his second tenure winds down in 2027, society is anxiously waiting to see how the anti-graft bodies will resume the trial for the cases that became stalled due to the immunity he currently enjoys, in addition to the cases that emanated during his tenure as Governor,” he added.
He criticised what he described as selective prosecution in the state’s anti-graft efforts.
“We decried the selective, partial, and illegal process to which the Bauchi State Government subjected its former Accountant-General, Sa’idu Abubakar, in the name of fighting corruption,”
“Where are the likes of the former SSG, among other officials or individuals related to the Governor or his administration, whose names keep featuring in one case or the other?”
LAWBA called for the immediate resignation or suspension of all public officers currently facing allegations, pending the conclusion of investigations.
“Let the Governor, like any other politician, join the APC, but this must have nothing to do with the process or efforts to determine the fate of how taxpayers’ money which accrued under his watch fared,”
“We are wiser as a people, and politically, Bauchi State no dey carry last.”
He welcomed the recent Supreme Court judgment affirming that the Freedom of Information Act applies to state governments, saying LAWBA would use the ruling to demand accountability.
“For us in the struggle for a better and secured Bauchi State, we shall deploy the veritable tool offered by this judgement to ensure that politicians and leaders do not take the people for granted,” .
“As we have always emphasized, the media has a crucial and critical role to play. From how we have been relating up to this point, we are confident that we will successfully handle this onerous task together.” He stressed.
