Yakubu Dogara, the former speaker of the house of representatives, has criticised Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, for antagonising Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
On January 24, the Bauchi governor described Wike as a liability in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Mohammed was reacting to the FCT minister’s criticism of his opposition to the tax reform bills.
Mohammed, who chairs the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, has frequently kicked against the bills, alleging that they favour one region.
However, in a statement on Tuesday, Dogara said Mohammed is “an ingrate” who has forgotten that without Wike’s backing, he would not have clinched the PDP’s governorship ticket in 2018.
“For starters, need I remind Governor Bala Mohammed that in the 2018 PDP gubernatorial primaries, when we were not too sure he would win because his then major opponent, Senator Abdul Ningi, was the one who constituted the state party structure and had a bosom friend as party chairman, it was Wike we turned to for help?” Dogara’s statement reads.
“I had called Wike to plead with him to help us in Bauchi without necessarily disclosing that it was Bala Mohammed that we wanted to be delivered.
“His response to me, was that are you sure you are in control of the process 100 percent? I said, I wasn’t too sure and he said to me leave it to me, I will help you sort it out.
“To cut the long story short, we passed the night at the government house, and the next morning Wike called and directed that his cash assistance be handed over to me to pass to Bala.
“I said, your Excellency, it’s better I call him so that he can collect the assistance himself lest he thinks you are still angry with him.
“I sent for Bala, and when he came, Wike’s aide handed over the package to him, and he collected it while almost kissing the ground.
“Wike therefore gave us the lifeline we needed to kick-start Bala’s campaigns.
“If Bala has forgotten how much we left with that day, I will remind him. Wike didn’t stop there; he gave us a private jet to ferry us back to Abuja.
“And I must add that was not the only time Wike helped Bala with resources and logistics. What is baffling is that the so-called transactional Wike did not demand anything in return nor place any condition for all that he did.
“Believe me, this is not the end of the story, but let’s leave it here.”
