The outgoing governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar was jittery after there was indication that he would be defeated by his main opponent, Bala Mohammed who was running under the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in lose the March governorship election in the state, Igbere Tv reports.
Igbere Tv recall that the governor was against it when the election was declared inconclusive and allegedly went to President Muhammadu Buhari to ask for aor helping hand.
In a quest to satisfy his quest for power, the governor went ahead to sought a court order to stop the supplementary polls. Unfortunately for him, not only did he lose at the court, that governor also lost the election to his opponent, Bala, Igbere Tv reports.
It wasn’t until recently that we realise that Abubakar has dug a pit, which he knew he would fall into if the election didn’t go his way.
In 2017, the governor signed the Bauchi State Public Property and Funds Recovery Tribunal Act. The law was meant to prosecute corrupt administrations and ensure they pay for any mismanagement of public funds that occurred under them.
But knowing that he is a culprit himself, after losing his re-election bid, he sent a bill to the Assembly seeking to repeal the same law.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had in February accused the governor of misappropriating state funds up to N400bn, which brought a spotlight on the state’s finances.
However, nemesis caught up with him on Thursday when a High Court sitting in Bauchi restrained him from signing the repeal bill.
In details, the new bill seeks to prevent the incoming administration of Bala Mohammed from recovering funds and property of the state looted by the outgoing government. The lawmakers, who are also his cronies, quickly passed the bill, but not without condemnations from all quarters.
Thirteen out of 31 members of the House Assembly sat on May 15 and hastily passed the bill into law. Unfortunately for them and their controversial bill, a member of the House of Assembly representing Dass Constituency, and eight other persons and civil society organisations dragged the state government, the state governor, the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the state Attorney-General to court.
Presiding over the sitting on Thursday (May 23), Justice M. A. Sambo ordered that the governor or any of his representative should not assent to the bill pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
He added that he listened to and considered the submission from the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Hassan Sarki, and the application satisfied the requirements of the law. Abubakar had hoped he would repeal the law before he hands over power on May 29, but the ruling means the earlier bill is still in force.
Now that the outgoing governor has failed to stop his ejection from office, and his looming prosecution, it’s only a matter of days for the full weight of the law to come upon him.
In a quest to satisfy his quest for power, the governor went ahead to sought a court order to stop the supplementary polls. Unfortunately for him, not only did he lose at the court, that governor also lost the election to his opponent, Bala, Igbere Tv reports.
It wasn’t until recently that we realise that Abubakar has dug a pit, which he knew he would fall into if the election didn’t go his way.
In 2017, the governor signed the Bauchi State Public Property and Funds Recovery Tribunal Act. The law was meant to prosecute corrupt administrations and ensure they pay for any mismanagement of public funds that occurred under them.
But knowing that he is a culprit himself, after losing his re-election bid, he sent a bill to the Assembly seeking to repeal the same law.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had in February accused the governor of misappropriating state funds up to N400bn, which brought a spotlight on the state’s finances.
However, nemesis caught up with him on Thursday when a High Court sitting in Bauchi restrained him from signing the repeal bill.
In details, the new bill seeks to prevent the incoming administration of Bala Mohammed from recovering funds and property of the state looted by the outgoing government. The lawmakers, who are also his cronies, quickly passed the bill, but not without condemnations from all quarters.
Thirteen out of 31 members of the House Assembly sat on May 15 and hastily passed the bill into law. Unfortunately for them and their controversial bill, a member of the House of Assembly representing Dass Constituency, and eight other persons and civil society organisations dragged the state government, the state governor, the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the state Attorney-General to court.
Presiding over the sitting on Thursday (May 23), Justice M. A. Sambo ordered that the governor or any of his representative should not assent to the bill pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
He added that he listened to and considered the submission from the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Hassan Sarki, and the application satisfied the requirements of the law. Abubakar had hoped he would repeal the law before he hands over power on May 29, but the ruling means the earlier bill is still in force.
Now that the outgoing governor has failed to stop his ejection from office, and his looming prosecution, it’s only a matter of days for the full weight of the law to come upon him.
