At last democracy receives positive boost in Bauchi

By Nurudeen Gasali B.

At last democracy has received a positive boost in Bauchi State, North-east Nigeria as the state assembly members, the aggrieved All Progressives Congress, APC and the other Peoples Democratic Party, PDP cum NNPP factions have resolved their crisis amicably.
This comes after weeks of disagreements causing the emergence of 2 Speakers in one House of 31 members comprising 22 APC members, 8 PDP and just one New Nigeria People Party, NNPP.
Interestingly the state governor is a PDP one.That is an elitist Bauchi State for you in terms of voting pattern and real democracy in place. The people took their destinies in their hands, prepared and went into elections in 2019, not to vote on party sentiments, zones, tribes or what have you, but purely for personality, individuals, based on merit and not about mediocrity to move their state forward.
They voted out the APC governorship candidate, Mohammed Abubakar for none performance in his four years and replaced him with the PDP candidate, AbdulkadirBalaMuhammed who they see as a better alternative having weighed his performances as former senator and former minister and found them positively weighty enough for him to represent them as their governor.
Voting on individual merit and personality also resulted in voting in 22 assembly members from a party different from their choice governor and party in power i.e APC, 8 for their governor’s party, PDP and one for an underdog party i.e the NNPP. What a brilliant spread and combination.
Back to the House crisis, at inception, there were 16 aggrieved APC lawmakers led by Hon. Kawuwa Shehu Damina who was elected by the factional 18 members (under the symbol of a mace) who disagreed with the other 13 factional members who elected Hon. Sulaiman Abubakar as Speaker with the Clerk of the House presiding over the sitting on the floor of the assembly.
The crisis resulted in claims and counters claims on constitutionality, quorum or no quorum, proclamation by the governor etc. Kawuwa Shehu Damina faction boycotted the House and refused to appear for inauguration, raising issues of illegality in the process that led to the emergence of Suleiman as Speaker against their factional choice.
This also led to the two chambers of the National Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate acting the script of the APC and the Presidency “rudely” and with bias coming up with threats of taking over of the Bauchi State Assembly, while also asking the Governor to jettison his earlier for inauguration of the State Assembly and conduct a fresh one; a move that did not go down well with the governor, his party the PDP, the good people of Bauchi State; even APC members as well as traditional and religious leaders of the state who want to move the state forward under the new arrangement of NEW-LEVEL in Bauchi State, haven crushed the NEXT-LEVEL of APC under the rejected ex APC Governor, Muhammad Abubakar who they see as being the masquerade trying to cause crisis of leadership in the state assembly for his personal gain politically.
Thanks to goodness, the crisis has been amicably resolved by these crop of matured legislators on the other side of the divide who are loyal to the former Governor Mohammed Abubakarand who eventually, having realized the folly in being pushed by an individual to play spoiler roles of scuttling the progress of the state, listened to voices of reason from various quarters ,comprising the traditional and religious leaders, elders of Bauchi State, youths and women of good will (indigenes and none indigenes alike) calling on them to join the train of progress in Bauchi State, even including my humble self, a visitor to Bauchi State.
This collective singular act of these law makers would have their names listed amongst the patriots of Bauchi State, as posterity would also judge them well.
While thanking everyone who through actions, deeds and utterances gave credence to this positive development, I want these new crops of legislators of Bauchi State to see the transformation of the state as their priority and make the end to justify the means; (not minding the mixed arrangement of leadership cutting across parties in the state);
as the melting pot that joins all together is the state and its progress.
Specifically, I want to appreciate the leadership qualities of my brother Speaker at last (after the temporary storms that have now resulted to peaceful rain) I am talking of Rt Hon. Suleiman Abubakar who throughout the crisis period demonstrated high level of discipline, rare virtues, deep sense of crisis management, thorough understanding of Democratic setting, humility, wisdom (as Suleiman a replica of the prophet of Allah, who Allah bestowed with rare wisdom), courage, reminiscence of those of prophet Yusuf and deep sense of sacrifice like prophet Ibrahim.
They need prayers and supports as provided by the people during the period of the now resolved crisis which reared its ugly heads, they need total cooperation, loyalty with all hands on deck to give Bauchi State a model face lift.
Nurudeen Gasali B writes in from Abuja.