Members of Bauchi Elders for Sustainable Development have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, call the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiyya Umar Farouk to order, accusing her of vote-buying in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which is in opposition in Bauchi State.
This was made known by Yahaya Idris Sulaiman, while addressing newsmen, on behalf of the Bauchi Elders for Sustainable Development, yesterday.
According to him, considering the activities going on in the Ministry, if left unchecked, it may cause disaffection among the people of Bauchi State and lead into an unwanted situation of breach of peace.
Yahaya Suleiman opined that unless urgent action was taken by the President, the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Bauchi State is being threatened by the activities of the Minister.
He alleged that they got information about what is happening at the Ministry through some of the officials, adding that the Ministry is getting its allocation from the federal purse but using it on some sections of the State under the pretence of helping women and other vulnerable people.
According to him, what is happening can be likened to vote-buying, with the intention of swaying votes in favour of the APC gubernatorial candidate, Amb. Saddique Baba Abubakar.
While fielding questions from newsmen, he stated that though he is a member of the PDP, he was not sponsored by the PDP to raise the observation contained in the press conference, but acting as a concerned citizen of Bauchi State, alongside members of his group.
He emphasised that the activities of the Ministry and the Minister should be suspended for now until after the elections, saying that such will further endear the President to the people of the State, who have created a love bond for him over the years since he joined partisan politics
Challenged to justify the issues he raised considering the growing popularity of the APC gubernatorial candidate in the state, Yahaya Suleiman said, What we are saying is not about partisan politics, we are talking about fairness and equity. Let the people be allowed to elect their favourite candidate without buying their votes and consciences.
He also called on the President to, as a matter of fairness and justice, remove the Minister, having married an indigene of Bauchi State, and therefore ceased to be from the State she is presently representing, stressing that as it is now, Bauchi-North Senatorial district is having three Ministers in the Federal Executive Council, (FEC).
Yahaya Suleiman added that the President remains a just and fair human being in the country saying, We are not alleging any misappropriation in the Ministry but in fairness, the activities should be suspended for now.
