Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has told the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike that nobody set fire in Bauchi “because we have a volume of water to quench the fire.”
He said this when he received a delegation from the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday.
He said, “We are together; nobody can set fire on Bauchi. We have a volume of water that will quench the fire, even my friend who said that did so because he is annoyed. Maybe, I have said something that annoyed him but it is not personal. My friend is my friend, my job is my job and leadership is leadership,” the governor said.
This would be the first reaction of Governor Mohammed to Wike’s threat who accused the PDP governors of interfering with issues concerning control of the party in Rivers.
It would be recalled that mid-August, PDP governors had declared Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State estranged godson of Wike, as the leader of the party in the south south state, a move which provoked Wike and his supporters to organise a congress in the state to further strengthen their grip of Rivers PDP.
Wike had said, “Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of PDP from us. But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give back to somebody, I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states.
“When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take,” Wike said.
The minister, who singled out Bauchi governor, promised sleepless nights to governors who leave their states to challenge him in Rivers.
“Because I heard they got some money from a signature bonus and so their heads are getting big that you will put hand in my own state. Prepare because I have the capacity to also do the same thing in your own state.
“Whether you are from Bauchi I don’t give a damn, whichever state you are from, as far as I know that you are trying to put yourself in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt and you will never sleep in your state,” he had said.
Governor Mohammed, who is the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, on Tuesday said, “This unsolicited visit by the National Working Committee shows that in Nigeria, we have hope, and we are connected by the value and the stability of the PDP for peace and stability in our party and in our country.
“Yes none of the parties is isolated in terms of crisis here and there. Crises are there; that is why leadership is also there. That is why we have to take the bull by the horn to discuss and look at the constitution of our party PDP. All the parties must do things by the rule of law.
“We must respect people, we must put our interest aside, we must respect our diversity, we must meet and close ranks especially when the issue has to do with our party, the PDP. Our party has pedigree… most of th
“If you can see all the members of the national working committee here are square pegs in square holes. Even if we are quarrelling, we are together. Nobody should “ The National Legal Adviser of PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade Adeyemi, (SAN), said whatever step the party’s governors take, the NWC is with them.
“We feel it is imperative for us to identify with you and to tell you that whatever step taken by the governors forum, we as your representative as National Working Committee will always be glad to implement.”
“Secondly, Your Excellency, we are here to also identify with you and to salute your courage as the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum. We cannot pretend, a lot of things have been going on in our party, we cannot pretend to say that all is very well.
“We are grateful and we are glad that yourself and other colleague Governors have taken the bull by the horns. So, we made it necessary for us to come and identify with you and tell you that whatever steps taken by the Governors Forum under your leadership, we as representatives of the National Working Committee will accept it and are ready to implement,” Ajibade added.
