Speaker of Bauchi State Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Suleiman
ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, has formally tendered his resignation letter from the All Progressives Congress Party (APC).
Suleiman who represents Ningi Constituency, said he dumped the party upon which he was elected in 2019 because of the crisis rocking the opposition party in the state since its party convention which left it with two factions.
Recall that the Speaker, who is also the Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, first broke the news of his quitting the APC in a short video clip while speaking of the break of Ramadan fast (iftar) held on Saturday at the Government House, Bauchi.
The Speaker, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the APC, Guda Ward of Ningi Local Government of the state, said he left also because he and his supporters were persecuted serially by the party leadership
According to him, the Speaker told the APC Ward Chairman that due to the factionalization of the Party at all levels in the State with every faction claiming the leadership of the party, coupled with litigations which led to court orders restraining both factions from claiming the leadership of the party, it became difficult for him to determine which of the factional leadership of the Party was legitimate.
He added that this is coming after series of persecutions being meted on him and his supporters since his election as Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly in June, 2019 as against the wish of some vested interests in the Party.
A statement issued on Monday by the speaker’s media aide, Abdul Burra, quoted him as saying: “It’s a well known fact that getting Speakership position has been one of the lifetime dreams of my Emirate, Ningi. People of my Constituency gave me their mandate to represent them and subsequently asked me to pursue their dream of producing Speaker from Ningi.
“I can’t be bigger than my Constituency and no interest should be superior than that of my constituents. Thus, I pursued the dream of my constituents and as Almighty Allah willed it, we got it against all odds.
“Since my election as Speaker, the Party sidelined me from its activities and meted various forms of persecution on me and my supporters. Despite these, I remained loyal and committed to the Party and continued contributing financially to the Party and attending its functions and meetings even if they didn’t invite me. Sometimes I would only get notice of Party meetings from my Colleagues, but I would still attend.
“It got to the level that I was removed as the Chairman of the stakeholders of the Party in Ningi Local Government and replaced with someone who barely knows the local government and the Party. Through that, they made sure any Party member loyal to me is edged out from the leadership or mainstream activities of the Party.”
He added that: “I was called unprintable names by the party leaders and stakeholders for their perception of the harmonious working relationship between the Assembly and the executive arm led by His Excellency Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad as a threat to them, their political ambition and the Party.
“I always tell them, Bauchi State is bigger than any personal interest, unhealthy relationship between the two critical arms of Government would not only halt the development of the State but will affect the well-being of the people and bring instability in the State which will not augur well for all of us. But they ignored this patriotic disposition.
“Just recently, these vested interests in the party worked against my inclusion as Member of the National Convention Planning Committee in which they made sure my name was removed. I tried my best to draw the attention of the party leadership and its critical stakeholders to the injustice being done on me and my supporters.
“But one of the major stakeholders told me clearly that the Party won’t recognize any grievance from me and they resolved not to recognize anything that emanate from me even if it’s a document that contains my signature, because of my relationship with the Executive Governor of Bauchi Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad. It further became clearer to me that I am no longer needed in APC.”
According to him, the Speaker added that there has been intense calls on him from supporters, groups, party stalwarts and constituents to dump the party due to the realities on ground, hence he set up a Committee drawn from all parts of Ningi Central Constituency under the chairmanship of Alhaji Bala Gideru to make further consultations and recommendations.
Furthermore, Burra said that Suleiman also told the APC Ward Chairman in his letter that the Committee after series of consultations and review of the situation, recommended that, “We should quit the Party and join the Peoples Democratic Party to consolidate on the unprecedented development being executed in Ningi Local Government and all parts of the State by the Executive Governor of Bauchi State His Excellency Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad.
“Based on the recommendations of the Committee and due to the prevailing situation and the uncertainties and fractionalizations in the Party, I have formally resigned from the All Progressive Congress alongside my thousands of supporters.
“I thank the party for the opportunity given to me to serve my Constituency and the State in general.”
Meanwhile, the Speaker has obtained a membership card of his new party, the PDP from Guda Ward of Ningi Local Government and pledged to work for the success of the Party at all levels and consolidate on the successes of the administration of His Excellency Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad in the State.
