Bauchi Top Official, Kashim Secretly Resigns, Cleared As Governorship Candidate After Pact With Governor Mohammed To Step Down If Governor Loses Presidential Bid
Ibrahim Kashim, the Secretary to the Bauchi State Government has “secretly resigned” and been cleared by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to contest for the number one seat in the state.
A source privy to the “secret resignation” told WikkiTimes that the SSG “clandestinely submitted his resignation to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed” in what looks like a secret pact between the duo.
“The resignation of Barrister Kashim was on the instruction of Governor Mohammed to help him reserve Bauchi 2023 PDP governorship ticket having set his eyes to vie for the Presidency.
“The reason for Kashim’s selection to get the nomination forms was to enable the governor to reclaim the ticket with ease if he eventually did not succeed in winning the PDP primaries,” a source familiar with the arrangement said.
Governor Mohammed in January this year said he would aspire to be Nigeria’s President and still retain the governorship ticket.
Mohammed said the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, had taught him a political lesson on how he could vie for the presidency and return to claim his governorship ticket if he failed in his presidential bid.
“Bauchi can be better if I am at the centre. But certainly, we have to manage the two together. I told my brother and colleague that you should not be happy to send me forth so that you can take over the governorship; I am going to do the two together as Matawallen Sokoto.
“I am going to test it and I am not going to give somebody who will not give me back when I come back,” Mohammed was quoted as saying.
Addressing a public gathering on January 28 at the Old Banquet Hall of the Bauchi State Government House, Bala Mohammed said he would give the governorship ticket to a close trusted aide so he could easily get it back if he failed to win the 2023 presidential ticket.
“One of my brothers, a formidable and astute politician, Matawalle Sokoto (Aminu Tambuwal) did it before, so we are going to also test it,” he said when referring to the strategy he had in mind to reserve the 2023 PDP governorship ticket for himself.
In 2019, Tambuwal handed the governorship ticket to his deputy, but Mohammed opted to use his SSG whom he appointed about ten months ago.
The SSG, who was recently screened by the party in the state, is being addressed as a former SSG during official functions at the Government House.
But his resignation has not been made public, ostensibly because of the “secret pact” he has with Mohammed.
However, despite being addressed as a former SSG, he still attends official functions of the Bauchi State Government.
Kashim did not answer repeated calls and text messages sent to his mobile phone.
The former SSG did not also reply to a WhatsApp message sent to his mobile line.
Kashim and the eldest son of former Governor Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu had indicated interest to contest the 2023 governorship election.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, a lawyer, Liborous Oshoma, opined that the governor had not committed a constitutional breach, as it had to do with party matters.
“You recall that Rochas Okorocha also did the same when he came for the presidential primaries in Lagos State. Also, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto did the same in 2019, and now it is Governor Bala’s turn. There is no constitutional breach; it is only a party matter. And if their party allows it, fine. What the constitution requires is Section 84 (12) that political appointees resign and in that, they have not offended,” he said.
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