Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Muhammed has said that he was forced to drop his deputy as running-mate for second term in office due to political permutations
He said it was not his intention to drop Senator Baba Tela as running mate during the last general elections but was forced to do so.
The governor gave the explanation on Thursday while addressing members of the State Executive Council (SEC) during a valedictory session.
“This cabinet is the engine room of the administration, my Deputy is here, even though I am not going with him for the second term. But he is part and parcel of my administration because we are there in the same political party but it was permutations that left him out of the system..
”Certainly, I don’t have any qualms with him, he is my brother even before we came here, he has been a friend. Nobody should go with the impression that we are not together, it is just the issue of political permutations and so on and so forth,” he said.
He told the appointees that they have been very wonderful in their service to the people of the state in the last 4 years.
“Let us find it to forgive each other because there is no way we would not have offended each other. I have forgiven you, you too should find it in your hearts to forgive my shortcomings, they were done in the best interest of the state,” he added.
He attributed the successes of the past four years of his first term to the support and cooperation of the members of the SEC saying, “We have really come thus far because of our working together for the good of the state.”
.Immediately after the State Executive Council meeting, Governor Bala dissolved members of his cabinet which include commissioners and special advisers.
The Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Ibrahim Kashim announced this while briefing journalists on the outcome of a valedictory session of the State Executive Council at the Council Chambers, Government House, Bauchi.
The SSG said others affected are Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants and other political appointess heading various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.
He said the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and the Principal Private Secretary retained their position till the inauguration period.
Kashim said during the meeting, Governor Bala Mohammed thanked the outgoing cabinet members for their positive contributions towards the successes achieved by his administration in the first tenure.
