Ali Yusuf Abdullahi
A political pressure group, the Kaura Good for Job, has
appealed to Bauchi electorates to always vote for leaders with courage and integrity.
The chairman of the group, Yakubu Babayo, made the appeal during a solidarity gathering organised in support of the state Governor Bala Mohammed on Sunday in Bauchi, the state capital.
While citing Governor Mohammed as an example of a leader who stood firmly by his convictions, Babayo said the group also supports the governor over his decision not to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The group which made its position known through its chairman who spoke at the event, condemned what he described as the careless deployment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to intimidate prominent individuals, especially at a time the country is facing serious security challenges.
Babayo said Governor Mohammed deserved commendation from well-meaning Nigerians for his contributions to peace in Bauchi State and the entire North-East region, as well as his role in strengthening democracy in the country.
According to him, the governor had taken deliberate steps to tackle insecurity by creating job opportunities, particularly for unemployed youths, noting that gainful employment remained a critical tool for reducing crime and insecurity.
“We organised this gathering to express our concern and register our displeasure over the unfounded allegations against our governor. Governor Bala Mohammed is a man of peace, and we will not allow anyone to malign his pedigree,” Babayo said.
He further accused some political actors of attempting to import what he termed “Abuja-style politics” aimed at destabilising Nigeria’s democracy.
Earlier, the chairman of the Peoples Development in Hardo Ward of Bauchi metropolis, Auwalu Ibrahim, hailed the members for their steadfastness and urged them to remain loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party despite the alleged intimidation and political pressure.
Ibrahim said the PDP remained the only political party that genuinely understood and represented the interests of the masses, adding that successive PDP-led administrations had brought development closer to ordinary Nigerians.
He alleged that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its political allies were determined to weaken the PDP through intimidation and the use of anti-graft agencies against opposition figures.