Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has reacted to stories that he has defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
According to him, although he has the right to follow any path he chooses, the defection rumour is false.
This is contained in a statement by his media aide, Mr Mukhtar Gidado, on Wednesday in Bauchi.
He dismissed the report as false and a figment of the author’s imagination.
Gidado said the state government stated unequivocally that the governor never contemplated leaving the PDP, initiate any move to defect to another party or make overtures to the PRP.
The governor’s aide said that such a baseless remark would have been dismissed as the ramblings of an attention-seeker desperate for relevance.
He said experience has shown that silence in the face of falsehood can be misconstrued as acquiescence.
“It must be placed on record that, in line with his inalienable right to freely associate in pursuit of a stable and prosperous polity, Gov. Bala Mohammed, like any citizen reserves the right to determine his future political alignments.
“Should that time ever arise, such a decision will not be dictated by the dubious machinations of political turncoats who thrive on falsehood and malice,” said Gidado.
Gidado said the governor has been at the forefront of rescuing the PDP from the contrived crises, stressing that his leadership credentials required no further validation.
He said that Mohammed’s credentials have been acknowledged both within and beyond Bauchi State, underscoring his decisive victories over the PRP in the two fiercely contested elections.
Gidado urged residents of the state, especially supporters of the PDP to remain vigilant, ensuring that the hard-won gains of recent years in empowerment, infrastructure, rural development, and tourism were not entrusted to self seeking elements.
