I wish Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, who is hell-bent on destroying everything in the state, simply out of desperation for reelection, will understand in the end that 18th March 2023 will come and go, and life will continue.
Insulting people, denigrating, maltreating and threatening to sack traditional rulers will never be a smooth path to Ramat House the second time.
We have had governors from 1999 to date, but sadly there has never been a time when our peaceful coexistence is being threatened just for the ambition of one man.
It is pertinent to note that the PDP government in its desperate attempt to cover its failure in all sectors of governance has sadly turned the state into a theatre of war. It only believes in brazen massive rigging plans, a vicious cycle of violence, harassment and intimidation.
It is on record that under the instructions of the ruling party leadership, the APC governorship candidate, Air Marshall Sadique (rtd), was shamelessly attacked in an attempt to perpetuate their party in power.
Their instrument now is only violence. If not, why should for God’s sake the APC only be their target? On 30th January 2023, at around 7:40 pm, the APC campaign team was attacked in Akuyam, Misau local government area, the hometown of the state PDP chairman.
Secondly, with brazen impunity, a similarly heinous act was perpetrated at Duguri village, the hometown of the governor, around 5:27 pm, on 8th March 2023. Moreover, they have again been using state machinery aggressively to attack individuals to make the state unsafe to anyone who does not align with their mentality of looting and milking the state dry at the expense of the general populace.
Again, the residence of the zonal vice chairman, Abdulmumini Kundak, and an elder statesman, the former Wazirin Bauchi, too were all assaulted to subject everyone to untold hardship and rig the election in their favour.
“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed,” -Martin Luther King King, Jr. That’s why we must collectively rise to reclaim Bauchi state.
However, given the empirical evidence above, the ruling party had succeeded in creating a general atmosphere of fear, and insecurity, which significantly undermined voter turnout, God forbid, their negative and ill will to gain an unfair advantage by installing unease and subsequently affecting the outcome of the election.
Let it be clear that no amount of intimidation and harassment will make the people of Bauchi change their minds about sending this government of failure to where it belongs.
Shall we continue with the leadership that is so much associated with alleged corruption, criminality, and economic deterioration? Perhaps, the governor has a notion that governance is only him and his children then a few of his cronies, of course, it is on record that, this leadership lacks inclusivity, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and responsiveness to the plight of the people.
Oftentimes shoddy contracts are done at very exorbitant costs, just to suit his self-desire at the expense of the state.
Should we allow this to continue?
Therefore, it is a patriotic call on all lovers of the state to vote for a man with a prudent track record, who left indelible footprints in the sands of time at the Air force. Or Should we again entrust our future to those who will continue denying the civil servants, and pensioners their entitlements, leaving our health care system comatose while living flamboyantly?
Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani,
Galadima Mahmoud Street,
Kasuwar Kaji, Azare, Bauchi state
