Fubara clings to Gov Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State

Some states in Nigeria occupy historic positions and represent very important influences in Nigeria. Bauchi has a rich history. It was a strong ethnic group that produced warriors such as Yakubu, a commander of the Sheikh Usman dan Fodio army that founded Bauchi Emirate in 1800 by conquering the Bauchi High Plains or the savanna region. Despite the British occupation 90 years later, Bauchi continued to determine what happened to the north and Nigeria as whole such as producing the first prime minister of Nigeria (Tafawa Balewa) and being centre of learning in the north with a college of education.

Now, a Bauchi warrior, Gov Bala Mohammed, is chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and seems to stand up to the FCT Minister when other cowed backward despite threats from the Minister to put fire in his bottom.

Now, Gov Sim Fubara of Rivers State seems to understands these things and has started clinging to the Bauchi Warrior, the modern day Yakubu. Gov Fubara has stated his resolve to work harmoniously with the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum to reposition the party in the right direction.

“This is as he restated the cordial working relationship between Rivers and Bauchi states under the leadership of Gov Bala Mohammed”, the state issued by Nelson Chukwudi, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) stressed.

Read also: Gov Fubara, at 50, says won’t let power get to his head

Those who gloss over these details make mistake. Northerners do not forget their roots and will never forget what is said in Kaduna (political capital), Sokoto (centre of spiritual unism), Kano (centre of northern radicalism), Bauchi (centre of political intelligentsia), Bornu (centre of agitation) and Makurdi (the refusniks).

So, anybody taking on Bauchi should be prepared to take on Kaduna as well, and the entire north too.

Gov Fubara paid a condolence visit to the Bauchi State governor on the demise of his step mother, Hajia Hauwa Mohammed, last weekend. It may sound ordinary but such visits lead to important decisions in the north because they often sit huddled together on the floor and whisper many things like in the days of Ahmadu Bello.

Fubara is the deputy chairman of this important body and this is no small connecting point. It was a condolence visit but what rang out was noting of the enormous task ahead in repositioning the PDP. He asserted that time has come when people need to come out strong and take a position that will rightly get things done properly. See?

Listen: “As a State, we have always worked together with the Bauchi Government.

“What I am doing here is to show everyone that we have a good working relationship, and we are in together to make sure that we work to set those things that are wrong rightly in the party.”

Gov Fubara did not forget why he was there as he described the loss of any family member as tragic to the relatives, irrespective of how old the person was.

He made it clear that he was late but it was important to show solidarity.