After spending sleepless nights in mosques and consulting witch-doctors to intercede on his behalf, the incumbent governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammad, reportedly suffered a panic attack and is recovering in Britain, where he was evacuated as he awaits the outcome of Supreme Court verdict on the governorship election, to be delivered on Monday, January 20, 2020, that will decide his fate.
It would not be the first time that the incumbent governor is suffering what some prefer to characterize as a “minor stroke” because Governor Mohammed himself told newsmen shortly after his victory at the Appeal Court in Jos, that he could not sleep a day to the appellate court verdict. Muktar Gidado, a media aide to the governor, in a statement, confirmed that the governor is currently in the UK undergoing “routine” medical checkup, but declined to comment whether or not the health condition was related to impending Supreme Court verdict.
Huhuonline.com correspondent monitoring developments in Jos reports that for the past one week, even before his evacuation to London, Governor Mohammad and his supporters and other stakeholders have been having “anxious moments” in the wake of the controversial apex court ruling that sacked Imo state governor Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and replaced him with Hope Uzodinma, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Publicly, supporters and members of both parties have been voicing their optimism of emerging victorious. The level of anxiety, as well as optimism by both sides is reflected in call-in political programs aired by radio stations across the state. A source close to the governor who pleaded anonymity, told Huhuonline.com that in the event of their losing at the Supreme Court, he and others had decided to leave Bauchi State.
“The tension is so palpable and expectations for success, very high; we cannot withstand losing out because the embarrassment will be enormous; we will rather leave in an event of failure at the Supreme Court,” he vowed.
But Alhadji Uba Nana, Bauchi APC Chairman, told Huhuonline.com that his party had embarked on a prayer session ahead of the Supreme Court verdict. Nana, who reserved all comments till after the judgement, said the party was hoping for a successful outcome at the apex court.
“We are reserving our comments until after the verdict on Monday; we have nothing much to say but I can tell you that we are very prayerful now. “We are in prayers and hoping for a successful outcome at the Supreme Court on Monday,” Nana said.
The same sentiment was echoed by Alhadji Yayanuwa Zainabari, Bauchi PDP Publicity Secretary, who also said his party had absolute trust in the Supreme Court and believed that justice would not only be done, but would be seen to have been done. “As it is now, the judiciary is the only hope of upholding the mandate given to Gov. Bala Mohammad by the people of Bauchi State. We have trust that the court would do justice in delivering its judgement; we have no fear at all and just as we won the election without rigging, by God’s grace, we will have course to celebrate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Huhuonline.com also discovered that supporters of both parties are trying to undo each other in their quest to seek divine intervention and have resorted to spending their nights in the mosque, praying to Allah to grant their parties, victory at the apex court.
A prominent PDP politician in Bauchi, who confirmed this development on condition of anonymity, said because of the dicey situation at hand, himself and others were not willing to take chances. “Some of us resolved to leave the comfort of our bedrooms and turn to Allah for salvation. We stay overnight in the mosque praying because, as Muslims, we know that All Mighty He often grants requests pleaded for during late night,” he revealed.
As tension continues to mount ahead of the Supreme Court verdict, the police are pulling out all the stops; with the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kamal Abubakar, giving assurances that the police command was on top of the situation as it had taken adequate measure to ensure that there was no break-down of law and order after the verdict.
He disclosed that police officers have been deployed to strategic locations within the state and placed on red alert, adding that the command had also invited stakeholders of both parties for a dialogue.
He said that members of the two parties had been barred from any form of celebration after the judgement to prevent breakdown of law and order. Kamal called on the people of the state to accept whatever the judgement would be as the will of God.
