Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has alleged that Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, knelt before former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in 2018 to request financial support for his gubernatorial campaign.
Dogara accused Governor Mohammed of betrayal, stating that Wike’s unconditional support was pivotal to his victory in the 2019 elections. “It’s shocking that Bala Mohammed, who had no financial capacity for his campaign, now has the audacity to call Wike ‘transactional,’” Dogara said in a statement issued on Tuesday through his media aide, Turaki Hassan.
The allegations come amidst a leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as Mohammed and Wike clash over accusations of betrayal and political hypocrisy. Mohammed has accused Wike of supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 presidential election, while Wike labeled Mohammed a hypocrite for switching political allegiances in the past.
According to Dogara, Mohammed’s chances of winning the PDP primaries in 2018 were slim due to Senator Abdul Ningi’s control of the party structure in Bauchi State. Dogara said he contacted Wike, who assured him of full support and facilitated Mohammed’s emergence as the PDP gubernatorial candidate by appointing Chief Dan Osi Orbih to oversee the primaries.
Dogara revealed that a fundraiser held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, raised just N48 million, which left Mohammed’s team stranded. Desperate for funds, Dogara led a delegation to Port Harcourt to meet Wike, who overcame past grievances with Mohammed to provide financial assistance.
“Wike bore all the costs, from providing a private jet to flying Chief Dan to Bauchi, to personally ensuring Mohammed’s emergence as PDP’s flag bearer,” Dogara disclosed.
Dogara further accused Mohammed of betraying not only Wike but also other benefactors, including elder statesman Alhaji Bello Kirfi. He described Mohammed as a “psychopath” and a “serial betrayer,” stating, “Bala Mohammed is now biting the hand that fed him.”
The ongoing feud shows deep divisions within the PDP, with Dogara portraying Wike as a benefactor who went above and beyond to secure Mohammed’s political success, only to face betrayal in return.
