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Bauchi gov and speaker are fighting, here's why

Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Gov Abubakar of Bauchi aren't really the best of friends. Pulse has learnt why.

The pair have endured a frosty relationship since Dogara was elected speaker in contravention of the zoning principle of the governing APC, a top aide of the Bauchi State governor disclosed on the condition of anonymity because he hadn’t been authorized to comment on the subject.

“You see, Dogara now considers his Excellency an enemy because the governor didn’t back his speakership ambition. And the reason the governor didn’t support Dogara’s ambition to be speaker is because the APC had zoned the position of speaker to the Southwest. Ideally, as governor, your default mode is to always respect the position of your party and that’s what Abubakar did”, the aide told Pulse.

The coup

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On June 9, 2015, Yakubu Dogara, who represents Bogoro/Tafawa Balewa federal constituency in Bauchi state, was elected Speaker of the 8th Assembly.

Dogara polled 182 votes to defeat Femi Gbajabiamila who racked up 174 votes.

Gbajabiamila who hails from the Southwest, was the APC’s handpicked candidate for the position of speaker.

The governing party had zoned the position of speaker to the Southwest geopolitical region of the country and the post of senate president to the Northeast.

But the lawmakers had other ideas.

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The senate had also masterminded a similar coup with Bukola Saraki outwitting his political party to emerge senate president, even though Ahmed Lawan of Yobe State was the APC’s choice for the position.

The Bauchi gov’s aide told Pulse that after Dogara emerged speaker, he rejected all peace offerings from the governorand their relationship has been the worse for it.

Beef

Pulse learnt that Dogara now regards the Bauchi governor as the enemy for not backing his speakership bid.

The governor’s aide said; “when he became speaker, told him, look, let’s work together since you are now the 4th most powerful man in the country and you are from Bauchi. But the speaker isn’t keen on accepting the governor’s olive branch”.

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Another aide said; "they may laugh in public or tell you everything is okay between them, but behind the scenes, the relationship between them is a tense one. Everything about Bauchi is drama, drama. We just love drama here".

Dividends of democracy

During an interview with in May of 2017, Dogara admitted that there was a cold war going on between himself and the governor.

He however said he had fallen out with the governor over non provision of democracy dividends to the people.

"It wasn’t because he refused to support me to be speaker, it wasn’t because anybody had reported him", Dogara said.

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"It was because the people were getting so angry that they decided to take their  destiny in their hands and everybody knows. You can find out from them in Bauchi that that was the direction we were heading to, a very dangerous direction and the president needed to intervene.

"In Bauchi, the moment Ahmadu Muazu left governance, development stopped in Bauchi. Clearly no new district has been opened, the whole capital is crammed up, there’s no water, challenges left, right and centre, we cannot continue like that.

"This is not a struggle between I and governor M.A Abubakar because I want to contest for Governor, it is a struggle between forces of good and forces of retrogression, between who wants to see advancement in Bauchi State and those who say they are offering leadership while they are just filling their pockets".

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