If politics were a religion, Bauchi state would be a center of pilgrimage. The spectacular political sagacity of its people is second to none in contemporary Nigeria. The war of wits, the art of deception, the conspiracies, the attacks and counter-attacks by different gladiators in their struggles for power are extraordinary. It never ceases to amaze the public whenever a strange political brouhaha pops up from the state as it’s currently unfolding, thanks to Sahara Reporters’ yellow journalism, Kaura’s anxiety, and the lackadaisical Muktar Gidado.
Frank Luther Mott identifies yellow journalism based on five characteristics: scary headlines in huge print, often of minor news. lavish use of pictures or imaginary drawings. use of fake interviews, misleading headlines, pseudoscience, and a parade of false learning from so-called experts. Sahara Reporters gracefully lack none of the characteristics of yellow journalism.
Therefore, it’s a no-brainer to outrightly dismiss their inciting headline that: “Ex-chief of Air Staff Saddique, ruling APC recruit ‘1000 militants, political thugs’ ahead of Bauchi governorship election.” Although we are warned to never underestimate the ego of a politician, well-meaning Nigerians will vouch for Saddique to be a man of peace that can never succumb to shooting his way to power through the use of the same thuggery he has been fighting throughout his career in the military.
Nonetheless, a counter argument holds that the not too popular newspaper was hired by the ruling PDP to inflict a serious political injury on Saddique and the APC, because the governor is afraid of facing him in pure political duel, especially with the momentum he’s gathering and the goodwill from the electorate since his emmergence as a flagbearer of the APC. Kaura is jittery and overwhelmed by the thought of being kicked out of office by Saddique on the next Democracy Day of 2023.
This cannot be divorced from his ineptitude, favouritism, nepotism, marginalisation of some parts of the state as well as his anti-masses policies that won him more enemies than friends across the state. The emergence of Saddique has been a spanner in the works of the Bauchi state PDP because they believed him to be the candidate to beat come the 2023 elections.
Muktar Gidado has once again stuck his neck to the social media butchers and the English Language anguage experts and learners alike. As much as I detest crucifying someone for mechanical errors or typos, I find it unpardonable for an acclaimed professional journalist like Gidado to keep ridiculing himself, his principal and my state with practically avoidable mistakes that keep appearing in his press releases ever since he was appointed special assistance on media and publicity to the Bauchi state governor.
You cannot occupy such a position and keep making errors lackadaisically without being sacked by the governor unless you are hired on the first kady’s recommendation, as we are made to believe. Such instances remind me of the immaculate Ali M. Ali, who served in the same capacity during the MA Abubakar government. Oh God! I love Ali’s releases, for they were vintage works of art, unlike the nightmares we are experiencing in the hands of Gidado.
Away from raping our lingua franca, Gidado went ahead to give away the sinister attempt by their administration to tarnish the image of Saddique by trying to pin the recent terrorists activities in the state on him only because Sahara Reporters said he’s recruiting political thugs. Do you want to tell me that my state chief security officer has no source of getting intel until a newspaper has announced? This is one more reason to vote Kaura out and bring someone with the wherewithal to secure the state without relying on newspapers for intel.
William Shakespeare has a fitting phrase for almost everything. He said, “The hell is empty and all the devils are here with us”. I pray that the machinations of all the devils among us never succeed against us and our state, Amin.
Adamu Bello Mai-Bodi,
Gidado Bombiyo Residence,
K/Kaji Azare, Bauchi state
