By NewsWireNGR
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Bala Mohammed who before now had been gearing up to take over from incumbent governor Isa Yuguda appeared to have suspended his governorship aspiration as he remained in the Jonathan cabinet even as seven other ministers leave to run for elective positions in their states in 2015.
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday named the seven ministers who were leaving, and Mohammed’s name was not among them.
The FCT minister was one of the most visible governorship aspirants among ministers, as his posters flooded Bauchi State. He was also believed to be mobilising for support ahead of the elections.
Sources say Adamu Mu’azu also known as “the game changer” of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP also from Bauchi, same state with Bala is not willing to hand him the governorship ticket in the state.
Mohammed was a senator from 2007 to 2010 when Jonathan appointed him as minister, following his much publicized backing of the President during the Yar’adua era when a said “Cabal” refused to hand over to then VP. He was a member of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), but defected to the PDP after he was appointed minister.
Sources at the Presidency tell NewsWireNGR, that Mohammed doesn’t want to step down and be disgraced, so he’s decided to stay back as minister and probably go back to the senate . But for now, Mohammed is in a political logjam, as he’s not even sure the Senatorial slot will be handed to him in the state, the source added.
What led to the strain relationship between the two was not clear but reports from grapevine indicates that while Bala Mohammed emerged senator and subsequent appointment as the minister of the FCT, he became a powerful Bauchi politician to beat in any polls in the state which didn’t go well with Mu’azu who at the time became less powerful.
It is not clear his relationship with incumbent governor Isa Yuguda but the two “are obviously not friends as well” the source added, they only enjoy political patronage when the need arises especially when the PDP leaders in the state meet. They is also a rumored friction between Yuguda and Bala Mohammed.
Yesterday, a valedictory Federal Executive Council session was held in honour of the seven out-going ministers.
They are Information Minister Labaran Maku (Nasarawa), Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi), Labour Minister Emeka Wogu (Abia), Minister of State for Education Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Minister of State for Trade and Investment Sam Ortom (Benue) and Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs Darius Ishaku (Taraba).
What will become of Bala Mohammed in Bauchi, only time will tell.
