BREAKING: Bauchi Governor Replies Wike’s ‘Put Fire In Their State’ Comment

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State stated that no one can ignite a fire in Bauchi “because we have a volume of water to quench the fire”.

He made this remark during a visit from a delegation of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday.

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He said, “We are together; nobody can put fire in Bauchi. We have a volume of water that will quench the fire, even my friend that said that did so because of he is annoyed. May be I have said something that annoyed him but it is not personal. My friend is my friend, my job is my job and leadership is leadership,” the governor said.

This is the first time Governor Bala Mohammed has addressed the threat posed by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who accused PDP governors of meddling in the party’s control issues in Rivers State.

In mid-August, PDP governors declared Siminalayi Fubara, Wike’s estranged protégé, as the party leader in Rivers.

This move angered Wike, who, along with his supporters, organized a congress in the state to reinforce their control over the Rivers PDP.

Speaking at the congress, Wike had said, “Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of PDP from us. But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give back to somebody, I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states.

“When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take,” Wike said.

The minister, who specifically targeted the Bauchi governor, vowed to give sleepless nights to any governors who come from their states to challenge him in Rivers.

“Because I heard they got some money from signature bonus and so their heads are getting big that you will put hand in my own state. Prepare because I have the capacity to also do the same thing in your own state.

“Whether you are from Bauchi I don’t give a damn, whichever state you are from, as far as I know that you are trying to put yourself in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt and you will never sleep in your state,” he had said.

But speaking on Tuesday, Mohammed, who is the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, said, “This unsolicited visit by the National Working Committee shows that in Nigeria, we have hope,and we are connected by the value and the stability of PDP for peace and stability in our party and in our country.

“Yes none of the parties is isolated in terms of crisis here and there. Crises are there; that is why leadership is also there. That is why we have to take the bull by the horn to discuss and look at the constitution of our party PDP. All the parties must do things by the rule of law. We must respect people, we must put our interest aside, we must respect our diversity, we must meet and close ranks especially when the issue has to do with our party, the PDP. Our party has pedigree… most of the development in this country was done by the PDP. When PDP left, nothing was done. If you can see all the members of the national working committee here are square peg in square hole. Even if we are quarrelling, we are together. Nobody should misunderstand that, we are not a splinter group.”