Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has publicly rejected mounting pressure to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), asserting that he “will not join the APC” and accusing the Federal Government of using anti-graft agencies to intimidate him and his administration. The governor described recent terrorism financing allegations involving his government as politically motivated and an attempt to criminalise his leadership because he remains a key opposition figure.
Governor Mohammed made the remarks on Wednesday, while receiving a Safety Ambassador award from the Safety Institute of Nigeria in Bauchi. His comments came amid the ongoing prosecution of his Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, who was arraigned alongside three others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges including terrorism financing and money laundering.
Reacting to the development, Mohammed accused the EFCC and the federal administration of exploiting anti-corruption laws to pursue political objectives.
“I was told I’m being accused of terrorism as a governor. Someone who is the head of the opposition,” he said, adding that, “My commissioner has been kept and will not be released by the EFCC even when I have immunity as a governor.”
He described the developments as an affront to democratic norms, suggesting that they reflect an alarming trend in Nigerian politics where public institutions are allegedly being turned into tools against those who choose not to align with the ruling party.
Mohammed forcefully dismissed suggestions that he might defect to the APC under pressure.
“I’m not a coward,” he declared, stressing that any attempt to force his political alignment through legal or institutional pressure would fail. “I won’t allow anybody to criminalise me because I’m not in their party, and I refuse to join their party, and I will not join their party,” the governor reiterated, underscoring his resolve to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and stand by his principles.
While defending his stance, he also criticised what he described as the federal government’s neglect of Bauchi State’s development needs, arguing that despite the centre’s control of national resources, Bauchi has yet to see tangible infrastructural benefits such as roads and water systems.
He said, “In my state, they have not provided one kilometre of road. You have not provided water. Even the security agencies, I’m the one paying them to work for us, and they have the guts to talk.”
The governor warned that his silence so far had been motivated by a desire to uphold peace and stability, but insisted that continued actions against him and his team would no longer be tolerated. “If they don’t stop, we are going to declare war. I assure you, we are not going to keep quiet any longer,” he said, adopting a combative posture toward what he views as systematic persecution.
