We Have Enough Water To Quench Your Fire, Bauchi Gov Mohammed Replies Wike

Bauchi governor, Bala Mohammed has said the state has enough “volume of water to quench the fire” which the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, had threatened to ignite a few weeks ago.

Speaking on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed also warned Wike that he can not cause any fire in the state.

He added, “We are together; nobody can put out a fire in Bauchi. We have a volume of water that will quench the fire, even my friend who said that, did so because he is annoyed.

“Maybe I have said something that annoyed him but it is not personal. My friend is my friend, my job is my job and leadership is leadership,” Mohammed said.

The governor was responding to a threat issued in August by the Minister over accusations that PDP governors were interfering with the affairs of the party in Rivers State.

Wike is from Rivers State and served as governor for eight years, and local government chairman. He also represented Rivers State as a minister.

The former governor was threatening to cause fire in states under the control of the PDP after the governors declared their support for Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers governor, as the leader of the party in the state.

Addressing supporters during the state congress, Wike had said, “Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of PDP from us. But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give it back to somebody. I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states.

“When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take.

Wike who singled out Mohammed said, “Because I heard they got some money from the signature bonus and so their heads are getting big that you will put hand in my own state.

“Prepare because I have the capacity to also do the same thing in your own state.

“Whether you are from Bauchi I don’t give a damn, whichever state you are from, as far as I know that you are trying to put yourself in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt and you will never sleep in your state,” he had said.

However, Mohammed who was speaking for the first time about the threat said, “This unsolicited visit by the National Working Committee shows that in Nigeria, we have hope and we are connected by the value and the stability of PDP for peace and stability in our party and in our country.

“Yes, none of the parties is isolated in terms of crisis here and there. Crises are there; that is why leadership is also there. That is why we have to take the bull by the horns to discuss and look at the constitution of our party PDP.

“All the parties must do things by the rule of law. We must respect people, we must put our interests aside, we must respect our diversity, and we must meet and close ranks especially when the issue has to do with our party, the PDP.”

Mohammed, who is the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, emphasised that, “Our party has pedigree… most of the development in this country was done by the PDP. When PDP left, nothing was done.

“If you can see all the members of the national working committee here are square pegs in square holes.

“Even if we are quarrelling, we are together. Nobody should misunderstand that we are not a splinter group,” he said.

The National Legal Adviser of PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade Adeyemi, (SAN), pledged the loyalty of the NWC, stating, “We feel it is imperative for us to identify with you and to tell you that whatever step taken by the governors forum, we as your representative as National Working Committee will always be glad to implement.

“Secondly, Your Excellency, we are here to also identify with you and to salute your courage as the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum.

“We cannot pretend, a lot of things have been going on in our party, we cannot pretend to say that all is very well,” he said.

He added, “We are grateful and we are glad that yourself and other colleagues Governors have taken the bull by the horns.

“So, we made it necessary for us to come and identify with you and tell you that whatever steps taken by the Governors Forum under your leadership, we as representatives of the National Working Committee will accept it and are ready to implement,” Ajibade added.