*calls for support for Acting President.
ABUJA-Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT,
Senator Bala Mohammed has washed his hands off the allegations of any
conspiracy to unseat Acting President Yemi Osinbajo from office. Bala Mohammed
Reacting to reports linking him to such plot in Saudi Arabia, Mohammed said
that such could only emanate from “political opportunists and agent
provocateur” especially from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He urged his detractors to “spare the nation this
embarrassing conspiracy narrative that is domiciled in their party”. Mohammed
who in a statement explained that his mission to Saudi Arabia was to fulfill
his religious obligations however called for sundry support for Osinbajo,
stressing that the Acting President has already done so much in stabilizing the
heated polity in the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari. He said: “I was not
invited to such a meeting, if it held at all. And even if I had been invited I
would not have attended for reasons that are all too obvious.
My antecedents are so well established that to associate me
with a clandestine parochial project aimed at subverting the constitution will
negate everything that I stand for and cherish. “No matter how anybody feels,
it must be acknowledged that Yemi Osinbajo is today occupying the position of
acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by
the grace of God. Therefore, political opportunists and agent provocateur
especially those of his All Progressives Congress (APC) should spare the nation
this embarrassing conspiracy narrative that is domiciled in their party.
“When tempers are flaring up dangerously and fear has become
the order of the day, what is required is for all stakeholders, notwithstanding
personal ambitions, party affiliation or sub-national interests, to join hands
with the Acting President in stabilizing the ship of state. “Unless we are
being hypocritical, Professor Osinbajo is doing his best to bridge the
leadership vacuum created by the absence of the President, a vacuum that has
triggered all kinds of dangerous political permutations.
“The country’s leadership is expected to galvanize all
stakeholders while the political class is expected to rally behind it to fashion
a way out of the present crisis. I would want to say that Professor Osinbajo
has demonstrated courage in the face of danger, commendable sobriety in spite
of provocation and focus in the midst of distraction to the extent that, I am
confident, President Buhari will be very proud of him. I make this comment with
every sense of responsibility and without prejudice to my loyalty to my party,
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and my personal ambition and aspirations as
a politician!”
The former FCT Minister who recalled his roles in a similar
situation during the administration of former President Musa Yar’adua in 2010,
stated that as a serving Senator then, he spearheaded the National Integrity
Group (NIG) in the Senate that saw the emergence of the then Vice President
Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President under the “Doctrine of Necessity”, asking
why he would condescend so low now.
He reminded his opponents not to waste their time and
resources, launching a campaign of calumny against his person and political
ambition, saying he remained unshaken in the midst of adversities. “Why would I
then descend from that high moral pedestal, from the status of a statesman, to
the nadir of political juvenility and rascality at a time that summons all
patriots, to join forces to stabilize our tottering nation-state.
“Consequently, it is therefore axiomatic that, no amount of
cheap blackmail, no level of persecution and no subterfuge by Sahara Reporters
and its promoters will diminish my resolve to continue to play constructive and
patriotic roles in serving the good people of Bauchi State and our dear country
Nigeria. “Like all false witnesses, God will cut them down at the point of
their successes. In this regard, my faith in God remains unshaken and my
commitment to a united Nigeria anchored on equity, justice and fair play as
bedrocks of a true federation remain sacrosanct.
“Finally, I implore all Nigerians to continue to pray for
the good health of our President and for God to grant Acting President Osinbajo
the wisdom to lead the country in the right direction until the President
returns”, Mohammed said.
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