Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and the Minister of the Federal Capital, Territory, Nyesom Wike, were on Thursday locked in a war of words over allegations of terrorism financing levelled against the Bauchi governor.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Mohammed alleged a political witch-hunt by President Bola Tinubu, adding that Wike was behind the terrorism financing charges filed against Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, in which his (Mohammed’s) name featured.
The EFCC had on Wednesday arraigned Adamu and three others for alleged terrorism financing to the tune of $9.7 million, with Governor Mohammed’s name appearing in the charges.
Speaking on Thursday, Mohammed linked the charges to an earlier threat by Wike to “put fire” in Bauchi State, alleging he was using federal agencies and political structures to undermine his administration.
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed flagged off Phase II of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project on Monday…Photo Credit: Government House
Mohammed described the terrorism financing allegation as unreasonable, saying Wike was behind the case.
He said, “There are people behind it, and I know, and I’m going to mention them today. Somebody said he’s going to put fire in my state, FCT Minister Wike. A rising politician, a leader of the opposition, to be accused of terrorism, it’s very painful. One of my nephews was mentioned in the corruption charge and there was nothing like that, nothing.
“ I have written to the Attorney General of the Federation. I’ve copied all the agencies, and I’m going to escalate it to the international community, asking for protection because this is victimisation, protection of my fundamental human rights.”
Mohammed also accused people around President Tinubu of working against him. “Some want me to join the All Progressives Congress, some don’t want, like Wike. Wike is a big drag on the administration, and the President should know. I have nothing against him.”
Mohammed, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Governors’ Forum, accused Wike of working to kill the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“He (Wike) is an undertaker in our party. He is not there as a genuine member of the PDP, and I fought him. I was even at the secretariat when he went there to take over. You cannot be in two places at the same time. It’s against the rule of nature,” he said.
The governor went further to allege that there was a deliberate plot to tarnish his name and integrity, including attempts to link him and his relatives to banditry and corruption.
He said, “And I’m a governor, serving governor, and my state is the most secure in the North-East, if not in northern Nigeria. And we did this through just not like that, through knowledge, through tact, through wisdom, and nothing of that sort had been associated with me.
He said, “He is with them. So, please, let us be honest, even while we are looking at this thing from the superficial point of view, because all these issues have consequences. We are the leaders today. But we should not think that we are arrogant and that we can do things with a lot of impunity, and nobody questions it.”
In a swift response, Wike dismissed Mohammed’s claims as an attempt to shift blame for his own political failures.
Speaking during a “thank you” visit to Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday, the former Rivers governor said he had nothing to do with Bauchi’s internal political troubles.
“I watched what the Bauchi governor is saying, that all the problems he’s having, that I’m the one because I said I would put fire in his state. So if I have such power, why are you fighting? If I have such power to put fire, why are you fighting?” Wike said.
Wike insisted that the Bauchi governor’s travails had nothing to do with him, arguing that Bala was battling the consequences of his own actions within the PDP in Bauchi.
“Go and face your problem. You came to my state, I said, ‘Be careful, leave my state alone.’ You want to impose a party leader in my state. Today, he doesn’t have a party to bring his successor,” he stated.
Reacting to Bala’s claim that he was responsible for the alleged EFCC pressure on some of his associates, Wike distanced himself from the anti-graft agency, insisting that law enforcement actions should not be politicised.
“Now EFCC is chasing them, he said it’s me. What’s my business? If your state is clean, go there and enjoy yourself,” the minister added.
Wike maintained that his disagreements with Bala were strictly within the confines of party leadership and not about personal finances or governance choices.
“So this is just to tell Nigerians, tell them to leave me alone; go and face your problems. I’m only fighting with you as party leadership. I’m not interested in what you spend,” he said.
