2023: Former Minister Vows to Unseat Bauchi Gov

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The immediate past Wazirin Bauchi  and former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the second republic,  Alhaji Muhammadu Bello Kirfi, has vowed to  ensure that  Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed is defeated in 2023 gubernatorial election in the state.

The 90-year-old elder statesman promised to deploy all arsenal at his disposal to ensure that Governor Mohammed did not return for a second tenure.

Kirfi, who was reacting to his removal by Bauchi Emirate Council as the Wazirin Bauchi said his removal was a  betrayal of trust as he was one of the people who made sacrifices to bring Governor Mohammed to power in 2019.

According to  the elder statesman in an interview with journalists in Bauchi yesterday,  “I was instrumental in bringing him to power in 2019. I did all I could to see that he emerged victorious against a government that enjoys federal might at that time.”

“We will kick him out of office as I worked assiduously to bring him on board.”

He lamented that nearly four years into the first tenure of the governor, salient issues direct  to people of the state remain unattended to despite repeated promises.

He said he was not moved by the decision of the Bauchi State Government to sack him from being Wazirin Bauchi using the Bauchi Emirate Council.

Kirfi  said the day of reckoning for Bala Mohammed is fixed with grave political consequences.

He said  that at the time Governor Mohammed needed the most critical support to actualise his political ambition, “I was there for him all through.”

The former monarch  said he is not moved whatsoever by his removal as Wazirin Bauchi, adding that he was doing the job on a part-time arrangement because the remuneration attached to the office of Waziri can never be sufficient to take care of his family.

“When I was first confronted to serve as Wazirin Bauchi, I refused because I cannot jettison my political life and businesses for the meagre salary of the office of Waziri which cannot cater for the daily spending of my family at that time.

“But at the end, after I was convinced by then Emir of Bauchi, I accepted to work on a part-time basis,” he said.

Kirfi said that evidently, Governor Mohammed fought every single political heavyweight in Bauchi that worked for his victory in the 2019 general elections, citing example of the way and manner he treated a former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The  Bauchi Emirate Council in a letter signed by the Council Secretary, Alhaji Shehu Mudi Muhammad and dated 3rd January 2023, removed Kirfi from being Wazirin Bauchi and a member of the Bauchi Emirate Council forthwith.

The Emirate argued that its decision to strip Kirfi of his role came  from an order it received from Bauchi State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs directing the emirate to do so.

“I am directed to refer to a letter received from the Ministry of Local Government Affairs with reference No: MLG/LG/S/72/T dated 30th December, 2022. The content of the said letter indicated your disloyalty and disrespect to the Executive Governor of the state and the government. It is therefore directed for your removal with immediate effect.

“In view of the above, you are hereby removed from office as Wazirin Bauchi and also as a council member of Bauchi Emirate. I wish you the best in all your future endeavours,” the letter read in parts.

When contacted for comments, the Director of Media and Publicity 2023 PDP Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Yayanuwa Zainabari  played down  the power of Kirfi in unseating Bala Mohammed ahead of this year’s gubernatorial election in Bauchi.

He said: “Bala Mohammed is seeking reelection from Bauchi electorates, not a single individual because it is God that gives power to whom He wills.”

Zainabari said as a campaign council, they are not bothered by the claims  of Kirfi.