Between Yahaya and Goje, No Retreat, No Surrender

The battle line between Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe and former Governor, Senator Danjuma Goje has become more evident with the prosecution and detention of the Senator’s aides, for posting All Progressives Congress exco resignation on Facebook, by the state government, writes Nseobong Okon-Ekong

A Chief Magistrate Court in Gombe State has remanded Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje’s aide on social media, Muhammad Adamu Yayari, in prison custody for posting the resignation of some ward executives of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Yamaltu/Deba LGA on his Facebook Wall.

The detention of Yayari was as a result of his Thursday Facebook post on the resignation of some ward executives of the APC from the Yamaltu/Deba LGA.

The excos resigned in solidarity with Senator Goje. There is a feud between Goje and the state governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.

They cited persecution and incessant attacks on the senator as the reason they left their respective offices.

The report of the resignation of the party chieftains was widely reported by the national media last week.

Yayari, was arrested and detained at the state police headquarters on Monday following a petition against him by the state secretary of the APC, Abubakar Umar S Goro.

The Police First Information Report (FIR), said the accused person had on November 25, 2021 published ‘an injurious falsehood’ against the executives of the APC in Yamaltu/Deba LGA chapter of the party on his personal facebook page.

Reading the FIR, the State Counsel, Ramatu Ibrahim Hassan, said the accused intend to harm the reputation of the ward executives with the said post.

She told the court that Yayari has committed offenses of injurious falsehood and inciting disturbance which contradicted Sections 393 and 114 of the Penal Code Law.

However, when asked by the court if the information as contained in the FIR is true, Yayari pleaded not guilty.

The defense counsels, Barristers Sa’idu Mu’azu Kumo and A. B. El-Ibrani applied for his bail.

However, the state counsel objected the bail application and told the court that it would be injurious to release accused considering the nature of the case.

The presiding judge, Chief Magistrate Mohammed Sulaiman Kumo, adjourned the case to December 6 to rule on the bail application.

About 80 per cent of ward executives of All Progressives Congress (APC) from Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area Gombe State, reportedly esigned their position over Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje and Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya feud.

The ward executives, which constitute about 80 per cent of the entire ward executives, announced the decision after a stakeholders’ meeting.

After the meeting, immediate past chairman of APC in Yamaltu/Deba LGA, Alhaji Sulaiman Ibrahim, told journalists that the ward executives resigned from their respective offices in protest to the disrespect and ‘attack’ on Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje’s convoy, last month.

This decision, according to him, was taken by the party leaders after an enlarged meeting of stakeholders and the party executives from the LGA.

According to him, the executives condemned the attack and decided to align with the Senator considering the fatherly role he has been playing in the development of the state and the country at large.

He added that to well-meaning party members in the state, Senator Goje is the only recognized leader of the APC and deserve utmost respect considering the critical role he played in forming and nurturing the party.

Last month, the daughter of Goje, Hussaina resigned as the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Forest Resources, one day after suspected political thugs assaulted her father.

The serving senator, who is a former governor of the state has been in a running political battle with incumbent Governor Muhammadu Yahaya. Until the recent public attack, both men denied the rift. However, the public attack against Goje has further widened the growing gulf of enmity between them.

Although Goje’s daughter attributed her resignation to “personal reasons,” which she refused to disclose, political pundits have adjudged that the unfortunate attack on her father not happened, she would, arguably still remain part of the Gombe executive council.

The detention of Goje’s aide for posting the mass resignation on his Facebook page may be the last straw that has broken whatever was left of the fragile unity between the camp of Governor Inuwa Yahaya and Senator Danjuma Goje.

QUOTE

The Police First Information Report (FIR), said the accused person had on November 25, 2021 published ‘an injurious falsehood’ against the executives of the APC in Yamaltu/Deba LGA chapter of the party on his personal facebook page. Reading the FIR, the State Counsel, Ramatu Ibrahim Hassan, said the accused intend to harm the reputation of the ward executives with the said post