Reports of a disagreement between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed have been refuted by a political ally of the former Vice President, Abdul Ahmed Ningi.
He spoke amidst reports that Atiku may not be supporting the second-term bid of Mohammed as the Bauchi State Governor and Bala may also work against the presidential ambition of the former Vice President.
But Ningi said reports suggesting the PDP presidential candidate and the Bauchi State Governor would work against each other are untrue.
He described insinuations suggesting the existence of discord between Atiku and the governor as belated lies.
Speaking with journalists in Bauchi, Ningi, a former deputy majority leader of the Senate said both leaders belong to the same party and fully have each other’s backing going into the 2023 general elections.
He argued further that both Atiku and Mohammed are from the same northeast sub-region and all PDP members are working hard to get all their candidates elected in the forthcoming election.
Both Atiku and Kaura belong to the same party. They are all members of PDP united and working to support each other,” Ningi submitted.
Bala vs Atiku
recalls back in November 2022, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State asked the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to apologize for sidelining him in the happenings in the Presidential Campaign Council.
Mohammed, who was a former presidential aspirant, was recently appointed as the Vice Chairman of the PDP Presidential campaign council (North-East).
However, in a protest letter dated November 3, 2022, and addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, Governor Mohammed said Atiku has not shown him the needed respect and confidence to work.
In the letter, the governor claimed that he was excluded from the activities of the campaign council as it relates to his office and was not carried along on certain decisions.
Governor Mohammed added that of all the PDP presidential aspirants, he was the only one Atiku did not visit for reconciliation after the primaries.
According to the governor, Atiku threatened to deal with him for contesting against him in the party’s presidential primaries in Abuja, adding that he was targeted by some political gladiators loyal to Atiku.
The Meeting
On Tuesday 8th November, Governor Mohammed paid a visit to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar amidst rumoured rift between the two PDP stalwarts.
In a statement to newsmen by the New Media Aide to Bauchi Governor, Lawal Muazu Bauchi, Bala Mohammed led a delegation of Bauchi State stakeholders of the PDP to Abuja, on a courtesy visit to Atiku in honor of an invitation by the National Chairman of the Party, Iyorchia Ayu.
