Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has narrated how the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, played a crucial role in funding the 2019 governorship campaign of the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
Mr Dogara, an indigene of Bauchi State who served as House Speaker between 2015 and 2019, narrated it in a statement on Tuesday to intervene in the ongoing dispute between Messrs Wike and Mohammed.
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The relationship between Messrs Wike and Mohammed, a former senator and FCT minister, has deteriorated significantly.
The crux of their dispute appears to be rooted in the leadership structure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Wike’s decision to accept a ministerial position under the APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu. The minister is a PDP member.
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Mr Mohammed, as the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, has publicly criticised Mr Wike for accepting the appointment, describing him as someone who betrays benefactors and shifts loyalties for personal gain.
In response, Mr Wike questioned Mr Mohammed’s leadership abilities to lead the party’s governors. He advised the Bauchi governor to desist from using his appointment under the Tinubu administration as a basis for arguments.
The deteriorated relationship between the duo is generating controversy among their loyalists and has raised tension in the party.
Mr Dogara, in an attempt to intervene in the dispute, explained that Mr Wike, at the time governor of Rivers State, provided financial and logistical support to ensure Mr Mohammed’s victory during the party’s primary election and after, without demanding anything in return.
The former speaker said he sought the intervention of Mr Wike on behalf of Mr Mohammed because he was afraid that the latter’s closest rival, Abdul Ningi, may win the party’s ticket to contest the governorship election.
“I need to 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.
“I had called Wike to plead with him to help us in Bauchi without necessarily disclosing to him that it was Bala Mohammed that we wanted delivered. His response was,’ Are you sure you are in control of the process 100 per cent? I said, ‘I wasn’t too sure.’ And he said to me ‘leave it to me, I will help you sort it out, “ he said.
How Bauchi governor won party ticket
To secure the party’s ticket for the election, Mr Dogara explained that Mr Wike strategically positioned his close ally, Dan Orbih, as the chairman of the primary election panel and ensured his presence in Bauchi for the exercise through a private jet.
“To do it, Wike first of all made his bosom friend and close ally, Chief Dan Osi Orbih the chairman of the panel for the primaries and said I should discuss whatever I wanted with Chief Dan. We got talking and on the eve of the primaries, Chief Dan was in Benin City and we needed to get him to Bauchi for the assignment.
“It was Wike that I turned to again and his response to me was, ‘my brother, I have told you not to bother about this. Tell Chief Dan to come to meet me in Port Harcourt.’ I did just that and amazingly Wike provided the private jet that flew Chief Dan to Bauchi and out of Bauchi for the assignment,” he said.
Wike’s financial supports
The former speaker also claimed that the FCT minister funded all the campaigns and election expenses of the Bauchi governor during the period.
“I can say without fear of any contradiction that Wike bore all expenses for the exercise. It’s therefore shocking that this so-called transactional character called Wike did not place any condition whatsoever for his support,” he said.
Bauchi governor lied about his financial capacity
Mr Dogara also said after Mr Mohammed emerged as the PDP flagbearer, he promised to fund the campaigns of all party candidates in the state. Still, the party executives were later surprised that Mr Mohammed had no financial resources, not even for his campaign.
“Initially, I thought it was some kind of a funny joke, but as time went by, I realised to my utter bewilderment that it was true. It turned out Bala Mohammed had lied to us about his financial capacity,” he said.
The former speaker said after they realised that Mr Mohammed did not have the financial capacity, Mr Wike offered him cash to fund the campaign.
READ ALSO: Tinubu committed N300bn to FCT councils’ development in one year – Wike
“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,” he said.
Mr Dogara said, aside from the cash assistance, the FCT minister also provided a private jet to convey him (Dogara) and Mr Mohammed from Port Harcourt to Abuja.
“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, ” the former lawmaker said.
Mr Mohammed could not be reached for comment. His media aide, Muktar Gidado, did not respond to repeated calls or text messages on his mobile phone.
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