The Senior Special Assistant to the Federal Capital Territory Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, has slammed Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, saying his alleged 2027 presidential ambition is “dead on arrival”.
He also accused Bala Mohammed of lacking the capacity to lead the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum.
Olayinka, in a statement released yesterday, said, “As for us, we are done with any object by the name Bala Mohammed. Reason is, we have better things to do and we won’t be available to be used by any ineffectual being to launch a dead-on-arrival 2027 presidential ambition.”
He further criticised Mohammed’s leadership, claiming his only defence for his inability to lead the PDP Governors’ Forum was the appointment of Barrister Nyesom Wike as a minister.
Olayinka remarked, “The appointment of Barrister Nyesom Wike as a Minister has remained the only excuse available for the Bauchi State governor to defend his glaring lack of capacity to lead the PDP as Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.”
Olayinka argued that Wike’s ministerial appointment under the All Progressives Congress-led government was neither unprecedented nor unique, citing historical examples of opposition members serving in governments led by other parties.
He said, “Late Chief Bola Ige, a member of Alliance for Democracy (AD), was a Minister under the PDP Govt of Obasanjo.
“Dr Olu Agunloye, a member of AD then, was a Minister under the PDP Govt of Obasanjo.
“Mrs Modupe Adesanya, daughter of the late Afenifere leader and a member of AD, was a Special Adviser under the PDP Govt of Obasanjo.
“Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, a member of ANPP then, was a Minister under the PDP govt of late Umar Yar’Adua.
“Present Governor of Bauchi, Bala Mohammed, who was a Senator under ANPP, resigned from the Senate to accept Ministerial appointment under the PDP govt of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Barrister Nyesom Wike, a member of the PDP, is currently serving as a Minister under the APC govt of Tinubu.
“Bianca Ojukwu, a member of APGA, is currently serving as a Minister under the APC Govt of Tinubu.”
In his scathing remarks, Olayinka pointed out the irony of Mohammed’s criticism of Wike, given his own political history.
He queried, “Now, the same Bala Mohammed, who left the Senatorial mandate he got as ANPP member to become Minister under a PDP govt, is running his mouth like a faulty tap.
“He said he resigned after becoming a Minister, issorite. But the question is, as a Senator elected under the platform of ANPP, should he have accepted to be Minister under a PDP govt?”
Olayinka also accused Mohammed of practising “anywhere-belly-face politics,” asserting that the Bauchi governor would have defected to the APC if offered a role by the Buhari administration.
He concluded, “The fact that Bala Mohammed defected to the PDP a few months after becoming a Minister is a further demonstration of his anywhere-belly-face politics. Obviously, if he was offered even a Special Assistant position by the APC Govt of Buhari in 2015, he would have accepted it and defected to the APC.”
