- Wike then said he would “put fire” in the states of the governors siding with Fubara.
Bala Mohammed, Bauchi’s governor, has fired back at Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory, saying his state is more than equipped to handle any turmoil Wike threatened to unleash on governors supporting Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers’ governor.
The two have been locked in a bitter dispute for months, with tensions escalating after Wike warned PDP governors to steer clear of Rivers’ opposition party affairs during a recent congress.
Wike ominously declared he would “put fire” in the states of governors backing Fubara.
Mohammed, however, remains unfazed, hosting members of the PDP’s national working committee in Bauchi on Tuesday.
“We are together; nobody can put fire in Bauchi,” he assured.
“We have volumes of water that will quench the fire – even my friend (Wike) that said so, it is because he is annoyed. But it is not personal.”
Mohammed emphasized the importance of separating personal relationships from leadership duties.
“My friend is my friend, and my job is my job, leadership is leadership,” he said.
He also welcomed the NWC’s visit as a sign of hope and unity within the PDP.
“This unsolicited visit…shows that in Nigeria, we have hope, and we are connected by the value and stability of PDP for peace and stability in our party and in our country.”
Mohammed acknowledged that crises are inevitable but stressed the need for leadership to tackle them head-on.
“Yes, none of the parties are isolated in terms of crisis… 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.”
He advocated for adherence to the rule of law, respect for diversity, and unity within the party. “All the parties must do things by the rule of law. We must respect people, we must put our interest aside…
“Our party has pedigree and most of the development in this country was done by the PDP.”
Kamaldeen Adeyemi, PDP’s national legal adviser, echoed this sentiment during the visit, stating they came to “identify with” Mohammed.