Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has criticized Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, over his recent clash with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike,Daily Trust reports.
Dogara disclosed that Wike played a significant role in Bala Mohammed’s emergence as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election and also funded his campaign.
In an open letter titled “Gov Bala vs. Wike: Let the Truth Be Told,” Dogara detailed how Wike financed Mohammed’s governorship bid and instructed Chief Dan Orbih to ensure he secured the PDP ticket.
Dogara said Governor Mohammed’s recent remarks about Wike were not unexpected. He wrote, “Witnessing this injustice, I ask myself: Is my comfort more important than telling the truth? Is my fear of conflict worth allowing harm to go unchallenged? I have learned that injustice is a festering wound—it only grows worse when ignored.
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“As someone who instigated the events between these two, silence on my part would amount to cowardice and complicity. I’m not defending Wike, but I am stating the truth as I know it, even if it paints him in a good light. I refuse to be a slave to public opinion.”
Dogara recounted events leading up to the 2018 PDP gubernatorial primaries in Bauchi State. He said when Senator Abdul Ningi, who controlled the party structure in the state, posed a threat to Mohammed’s candidacy, he turned to Wike for help.
According to Dogara, “I called Wike and pleaded with him to assist in Bauchi without disclosing that Bala Mohammed was our candidate. Wike agreed, saying, ‘Leave it to me; I will sort it out.’ He appointed his ally, Chief Dan Orbih, as chairman of the primaries panel and even arranged a private jet to fly him to Bauchi for the assignment.”
Dogara revealed that Wike bore all expenses for the exercise without setting any conditions for his support.
However, after Mohammed emerged as the PDP candidate, it became apparent that he lacked funds for his own campaign, let alone supporting other party candidates. Dogara recalled that a fundraiser yielded just ₦48 million, of which ₦20 million was spent organizing the event.
Faced with financial challenges, Dogara said he and Mohammed visited Wike in Port Harcourt to seek help. Wike was initially displeased to see Mohammed, recounting past grievances from their time as ministers. Wike accused Mohammed of allocating plots of land to other ministers but excluding him and of treating him poorly during a visit to his office.
Despite his reservations, Wike agreed to support their campaign, warning, “You will regret your decision if Bala Mohammed becomes governor.”
Dogara stated that Wike confronted Mohammed about the past incidents, and Mohammed admitted his actions, apologized, and promised he had changed.
Dogara concluded by noting that two senators who accompanied him during the visit could verify the truth of his account.
