Bauchi governor explains absence from Tinubu’s new year meeting

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has dismissed speculation over his absence from the New Year’s Day visit by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to President Bola Tinubu’s Lagos residence.

The governor clarified that his nonattendance had no political undertones, emphasizing it was due to personal loss.

The visit, which took place at President Tinubu’s home on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, saw several governors in attendance, including Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Abba Yusuf (Kano), among others. Notably, Governor Bala Mohammed, who chairs the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governors’ Forum, was absent, fueling speculation of political discord.

Responding to inquiries on Thursday, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, explained that Mohammed had been mourning the passing of his 102-year-old stepmother, Hauwa Duguri, who died on New Year’s Day.

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“The stepmother of the governor, Hauwa Duguri, passed away on Wednesday, the same day as the New Year visit,” Gidado stated. “The governor has been restless. As I speak to you, we are in his country home in Duguri, mourning her loss.”

Gidado dismissed claims linking the governor’s absence to recent tensions with the Presidency over proposed tax reforms. “It is uncalled for to link the governor’s absence to his recent exchanges with the Presidency,” he said, noting that Mohammed was preoccupied with receiving condolence visitors.

The timing of Mohammed’s absence came amid heightened political exchanges between the Bauchi governor and the Presidency. Earlier in the week, the Presidency accused Mohammed of issuing threats over the proposed tax reforms, a claim the governor strongly denied.

Mohammed countered with accusations of blackmail, reiterating his opposition to the reforms, which he argued would disproportionately burden states like Bauchi.

However, Gidado urged the public not to conflate the governor’s principled stance on national issues with his personal decision to forgo the Lagos visit.

The New Year visit saw governors across party lines engaging with President Tinubu, symbolizing unity despite Nigeria’s charged political landscape. The gathering, attended by governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties, aimed to foster collaboration as the nation entered 2025.

The post Bauchi governor explains absence from Tinubu’s new year meeting appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.

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