Dogara Alleges Bala Mohammed Knelt Before Wike For Campaign Funds In 2018

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has revealed that Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, knelt before the current Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, in 2018 to solicit funds for his gubernatorial campaign.

Dogara claimed that the former Rivers State Governor not only financed Mohammed’s campaign but also influenced the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Bauchi State to favor him through the intervention of Chief Dan Osi Orbih, a PDP chieftain.

The former Speaker, in a statement on Tuesday, said his silence on the matter would make him complicit, as he was a key figure in the events leading to Mohammed’s governorship victory.

“During the 2018 PDP gubernatorial primaries, when we were uncertain about Bala Mohammed’s chances of defeating his major opponent, Senator Abdul Ningi, who controlled the state party structure, we turned to Wike for help,” Dogara said.

Dogara disclosed that Wike initially asked if the team was confident of controlling the process, and when told they were unsure, he assured them of his support.

“To deliver Bala Mohammed, Wike appointed his close ally, Chief Dan Orbih, as chairman of the panel for the primaries. Wike even provided a private jet to fly Chief Dan from Benin to Bauchi for the assignment,” Dogara recounted.

The former Speaker revealed that Wike funded the entire exercise, describing him as selfless and without any transactional demands.

“After Bala Mohammed emerged as the PDP flag bearer, he promised to sponsor all party candidates in Bauchi. However, we later discovered he had no funds for his campaign, let alone for others. Initially, I thought it was a joke, but it was true,” Dogara said.

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He recalled a critical moment when Wike stepped in to provide financial assistance, despite alleged false claims by Mohammed about his financial capacity.

“The next morning at the Government House, Wike called for his aide to hand over cash assistance to Bala Mohammed. I even suggested that Bala should collect it directly to avoid any misunderstandings. When Bala arrived, he collected the money while almost kissing the ground,” Dogara stated.

Dogara added that Wike didn’t just provide financial help but also offered logistics, including a private jet to transport them back to Abuja.

“What’s baffling is that this so-called transactional Wike placed no conditions on his support. This is not the full story, but let’s leave it here for now,” Dogara concluded.

This revelation highlights the crucial role Wike played in Bala Mohammed’s rise to power, contrasting recent criticisms of Wike’s alleged transactional nature in political dealings.