‘I Wasn’t Given Fair Hearing,’ Senator Buba On Being Stripped Of Traditional Title For Criticising Bauchi Governor, Mohammed
On Thursday, the council stripped Buba of his chieftaincy for allegedly insulting the state governor, Bala Mohammed. The lawmaker had criticised Governor Mohammed’s policies during the kick-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) local government electioneering campaign in the state.
Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, has criticised the emirate council’s decision to withdraw his Mujaddadin Bauchi traditional title.
On Thursday, the council stripped Buba of his chieftaincy for allegedly insulting the state governor, Bala Mohammed. The lawmaker had criticised Governor Mohammed’s policies during the kick-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) local government electioneering campaign in the state.
Buba accused the governor of worsening the poverty index in Bauchi, emphasising the need for accountability in the allocation of state resources.
In a letter addressed to the Emir of Bauchi, Buba expressed shock at the emirate’s decision to strip him of his chieftaincy title.
“I regret that the Bauchi Emirate Council hastily concluded this matter without providing me a fair hearing,” said Buba, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
The senator said he “received with utter shock a letter dated August 14, 2024, informing me of the Bauchi Emirate Council’s decision to withdraw my traditional title of Mujaddadin Bauchi,” adding that the “decision was made over an allegation that I insulted Governor Bala Mohammed during a rally”.
In his defence, Buba said, “I must state that during a recent APC campaign flag-off, I responded to the governor’s disparaging comments about the President, which I felt were calculated to expose the President to public contempt and disaffection.
“In some of the multimedia contents that have gone viral, the Governor’s rhetoric is confrontational, accusatory, abusive and defamatory. Some of the emotive language including President Tinubu of “lying to us,” “deception,” “causing pain,” “anger and hunger” to appeal to emotions.”
According to him, the allegations by the Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed “of PDP against President Tinubu of APC are politically motivated, most of them are baseless, unsubstantiated, lacking concrete data and evidence and barefaced falsehood”.
He said in his response to the governor’s accusation against Tinubu, he “refuted his claim that the Tinubu-led Administration abused the office, instead I accused the Governor of abusing people in Bauchi State.
“I disclosed that Governor Bala received over N144 billion from the Federation Account in 2023 and over N47 billion from January to date, with a projected N195 billion by the end of 2024. I asked him to justify how he manages the treasury as citizens are crying of hunger.
“I added that President Tinubu was doing all that is possible to secure the nation, stabilise the economy and ensure peaceful coexistence without polarizing the polity unlike Governor Bala.
“My remarks were well-intentioned and in defense of a higher authority than a Governor’s.
“I register my sympathy with the Bauchi Emirate Council for hastily drawing a conclusion on this matter without affording me fair hearing.”
Despite his disappointment, he said, “I accept their decision in good faith, hoping that in due time, Almighty Allah will send a messiah to Bauchi State to correct this situation.
“I advise the Bauchi Emirate Council to resist any attempt by political actors to drag it into the political arena, serving their selfish interests. I pray for the long reign of the Emir of Bauchi in sound health, effectively piloting the affairs of his Emirate.”
It was Reported on Thursday reported that Buba was stripped of his traditional title by the Bauchi Emirate Council following his public criticism of Governor Mohammed.
The Senator, who previously held the title of ‘Mandarin Bauchi,’ had accused the governor of corruption and mismanagement during an interview in Bauchi.
Buba, speaking at the ‘Next-level office of the All Progressives Congress’ after the party’s campaign flag-off for the August 17 local government election, stated, “The hardship is caused by the PDP.
“If anyone says it is the policy of the All Progressives Congress, that is very misleading and fictitious. It is fake and not true.”
He claimed that the Bauchi State government under Mohammed had failed to acknowledge and appreciate federal interventions meant to alleviate economic hardship.
“For example, let me tell you about the recent interventions of the 20 trucks of rice that were given to Bauchi State to distribute to the populace in the state. Where are the bags of rice?” Buba questioned.
He further alleged that 70 trucks of guinea corn and 70 trucks of fertilizers provided by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture were sold by the state government instead of being distributed to the people.
“This hardship in Bauchi is caused by the Bala Mohammed-led government. It is a one-man government. I’m repeating it. It’s a government that is very corrupt. Look at all the ministries. Nothing is happening,” he added.
Buba’s allegations against Governor Mohammed were seen as a significant affront by the Bauchi Emirate Council. In response, the Council revoked his traditional title, stating that his behavior was inconsistent with the values upheld by the Emirate.
