The Presidency has rebuked Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for his recent comments targeting President Bola Tinubu’s policies, accusing the governor of engaging in irresponsible politics instead of focusing on the critical issues affecting his state.
The warning comes after Governor Mohammed criticized the president’s leadership, particularly in relation to the north’s economic crisis.
In a statement released on Friday, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, called on the governor to redirect his attention to the pressing challenges in Bauchi rather than using national politics to distract from his governance failures.
Speaking earlier this week in a meeting with Sheikh Sani Jingir, a prominent figure in the National Chairman Council of Ulama Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah, Gov Bala expressed dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration’s policies.
He lamented that despite the suffering of Nigerians, particularly in the northern states, President Tinubu has been unresponsive to the concerns of the region.
He criticized the proposed tax reforms, warning that they would only deepen the economic hardship in the north. “We are not on good terms with him (Tinubu), because our brothers and sisters are suffering. Even we, the governors, are suffering. Aside from his policies, he does not listen to us,” Mohammed declared.
However, the Presidency quickly hit back, accusing the governor of using the president’s name to distract from his own failings in Bauchi.
“Governor Bala should face governance and stop using President Tinubu to burnish his vanishing image. Governor Bala is playing irresponsible politics. Rather, he should occupy himself with dealing with the many problems of his state. Ambition is made of sterner stuff,” the statement read.
“Nigerians have started to see the real impact of reforms under the Tinubu administration, and better outcomes will continue to manifest in the weeks and months ahead,” the statement added.