A Senior Special Assistant to the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Sale Chiroma, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of working to undermine Nigeria’s democratic system.
Chiroma alleged that the FCT minister was behind claims of terrorism financing levelled against the Bauchi State Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, describing the allegation as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of Governor Bala Mohammed.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Sunday, Chiroma claimed that Wike was also plotting to destabilise the relative peace currently enjoyed in Bauchi State and across the country by instigating political conflict similar to what he allegedly occurred in Rivers State.
He insisted that recent accusations linking Governor Mohammed to terrorism were baseless, untrue and calculated, especially at a time when the governor was gaining increasing political support nationwide ahead of forthcoming elections.
Chiroma said the youths of Bauchi State would not take the allegations lightly, describing them as grave accusations against a governor known for peace, unity and tolerance, regardless of political affiliation, religion or ethnicity.
“Our governor has served as a senator, minister and now as a governor. Bauchi State remains one of the safest states in the North and the country at large in terms of peace and security,” he said.
He vowed that all necessary legal steps would be taken to address what he described as misinformation and defamatory claims linking the governor to terrorism.
The governor’s aide also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene and take appropriate action against the FCT minister to prevent the situation from escalating into unrest or crisis.
“Mr President, I want to inform you that the Minister of the FCT is allegedly planning not only to destabilise Bauchi State but the entire country for selfish interests, as was the case in Rivers State. Mr President, you need to act fast before it is too late,” Chiroma said.
He further warned Wike to desist from what he described as persistent attacks on the Bauchi State Governor and instead focused on his responsibility of developing Abuja.
Chiroma also called on the EFCC to always verify allegations and conduct thorough investigations before taking action, urging the anti-graft agency to ensure justice is served and to avoid being perceived as an instrument of witch-hunting.
THR reports that the war of words between Governor Bala Mohammed and the FCT Minister began last year during the Peoples Democratic Party leadership crisis, which led to factionalisation and the emergence of parallel leadership structures.
The disagreement later extended to the PDP national convention and the swearing-in of national executives at the party’s Wadata Plaza headquarters in Abuja.
