Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa
Yuguda, a close ally of President
Goodluck Jonathan, is one of the
outgoing Peoples Democratic Party
governors, whose political sagacity is
being tasked in the bid to re-elect
President Goodluck Jonathan come
March 28 this year.
By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor,
North
Although he has won many political
battles in the past, the forthcoming
election remains a test case that
may push his political wizardry to
the limit given the challenge being
thrown at him from within and
without his party. But in this
interview, the two-time governor
boasts that he is equal to the
challenge, insisting that Jonathan
cannot lose in Bauchi with him
presiding over as the governor of the
state.
*Gov. Yuguda
Excerpts:
From your assessment of the
political atmosphere in your state,
can you say with confidence that
Bauchi State is ready to re-elect
President Goodluck Jonathan on
March 28 this year? The question is
pertinent given suspicion that some
northern governors want to elect
Buhari and then work for their
cronies in the PDP to succeed them.
Any truth in this?
Well, I must say that for any
governor of northern extraction to
take that kind of position would be a
very satanic betrayal because for me,
I am not in PDP to tell the president
that I am with him and will turn
round to do something against him
as the president and leader of my
party. That would amount to
betrayal and betrayal is one of those
things that is forbidden by Islam. I
will never be a party to that. I would
rather have told President Jonathan
face to face, just like the other
governors who left had done that
they would not work with him and I
would have walked away rather than
remain in the party to work against
him. After all, what have I not seen
in this country? I have been part
and parcel of the Nigerian project. I
had served before as a two time
minister, a banker and as a governor
for eight years. Having come this far
in the politics of this country why
can’t I tell the truth and stand by it
as a governor of a state?
But are you not afraid that your
people would see you as an infidel
if you don’t work for Buhari?
Look, there is no such issue. The
issue at stake is this: are you talking
about the votes of the governors
themselves or the votes of the
people under them? There is no way
Nigerians in Bauchi will not vote of
Jonathan and Buhari during the
election. What we should be talking
about is the percentage of votes for
each. Don’t allow anyone to deceive
you that the votes will be cast for
one person. It is not possible in
today’s Nigeria. But I want to assure
Nigerians that Jonathan will win in
Bauchi to enable him to continue
the good work that he is doing in
Aso Rock. In that case, I want to
assure the president that he cannot
lose election in Bauchi State when I
am the field commander.
There is this allegation that
Jonathan was stoned at the Bauchi
Stadium when he came for
campaign. Was he really stoned
because as we speak, no such
picture has been released to the
public domain?
I want to say that I am not aware of
the destruction of vehicles during
the rally. All I am aware is that at
the time when we were at the venue
of the rally, there were some
incidents of some youths throwing
missiles at the podium when the
Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory was speaking. That I knew
about. Again, at the time I came
with the president and we were
going round, some miscreants pelted
us with some stones. Also, as we
drove into the town with Mr.
President, some youths were
organised to raise brooms as our
convoy was passing by.
That I know was organised ostensibly
to give the erroneous impression
that Isa Yuguda is hated by his own
people. But that is not the true
position. I think the social media
carried some clips that seemed to
suggest that there was stoning of
some people on the podium.
But I want to assure all Nigerians
that President Goodluck Jonathan
was not stoned at the Bauchi
Stadium on the day he came to
campaign there. I was also not
stoned while making my own speech
on that day. In fact, when the
president stood up and shouted
Asalamilekum, everybody stood up
and answered him and when I came
and shouted, “Nigeria!” the same
crowd rose and answered, “Sai
Jonathan” up to five times.
That was the reaction of the people
of Bauchi to Mr. President when he
came campaigning in the state that
day. So, that goes to confirm the
acceptability and the support that
Mr. President has in Bauchi as
against the impression being given
by some persons that he was stoned
and rejected in Bauchi. That is far
from the truth and Nigerians should
know that. Mr. President is definitely
welcome in Bauchi. If that was not
the case, I would have told the
President and pleaded with him to
allow me go elsewhere. But to the
extent that I know the people of
Bauchi are with me I have the
comfort to tell the president that I
am with him.
There is this open suspicion that
the three most senior PDP leaders
in the state -the National
Chairman, the FCT Minister and you
the governor-are not working
together in the process of
delivering the state to Mr.
President. What could be the
problem or the missing link?
Well, what I can say is that I have
tried very hard to work closely with
these people you have mentioned to
bring about peace and success for
the party and the president. I think
that if the two of them do not want
to work with me, Nigerians should
understand why it is so. They should
understand that I stand out as the
elected governor of Bauchi State and
that they are appointees of the
president.
I am the field commander for Mr.
President in my state. I won my
election after leaving PDP in January
2007 and two months later I won my
election as governor under the
platform of the ANPP, defeating PDP
and the same party should know
today that I decided to return to PDP
after leaving ANPP. They should also
remember that in 2011, I stood for
election under PDP and won despite
the fact that these same set of
people fought against me. So, it is
the will of Allah that I am with my
people. And it stands to reason that
if I am with Mr. President, my
people too, are with him and there
is no reason to fear. I can say that
there is no reason Jonathan can lose
election in my state except some of
these people you are talking about
are sabotaging us.
But let me say that winning election
requires only 25 percent and
Jonathan is going to get it this time
around. In 2011, he did not get it
but this time around he is going to
win in Bauchi. But I should be
allowed to carry my cross and deliver
the state to Jonathan; I don’t need
anybody’s assistance. I only need
God’s assistance and I am praying
that Mr. President gives me his
support. Let him allow me to do my
job as his field commander. He does
not need to come back to Bauchi for
campaign. I am there for him. I will
deliver for him. After all, there are
many states which do not have
Abuja politician and they are
winning elections for him. Jigawa is
one of them, Niger is another. ,
Sokoto was one of them and many
others. So, If I can perform the feat
that other governors have not
performed, they should give me the
chance to prove my capacity as I did
before, that is leaving PDP, defeating
PDP, coming back into the PDP and
defeating the opposition, then they
should know I am not just there to
make noise but to deliver.
As you are about to hand over to
your successor in May, have you
been able to deliver on your
promises to the state and its
people?
Yes, absolutely. I can say that I am
more than satisfied with what I set
out to do when I assumed office in
2007 and 2011. I can say without
fear of contradiction that I have
delivered on all the promises I made
to the people of the state. Of all the
things I promised I would do, there
is only one that is yet to take off,
that is the Kafinsa Dam project,
which is a Federal Government
Project.
Can we have an idea of some of the
projects?
Let’s start with health: I have
constructed over 50 brand new
hospitals and a specialist hospital,
which is now a referral one, which is
the best hospital in West Africa
today. I can boast that there is not
one of its kind anywhere in Nigeria
as at today and I challenge any
hospital management in any part of
Nigeria to visit Bauchi to see things
for themselves. Nigerians don’t need
to go outside for any medical
attention with the completion of this
hospital in the state. All the
equipment are there and it is not
mere talk. I have delivered on all
the rural projects I promised. These
are in terms of roads, water supply
and electricity. I have constructed
over 400 motorised boreholes and
schools. I have constructed over
1000 primary health centres, I have
rehabilitated almost 90 percent of all
secondary and primary schools in the
state and fitted them with chairs
and tables and 6 billion books.
Bauchi and Lagos states are perhaps
the only states that have been able
to supply books from the primary to
the secondary schools to their
people.
I have established a state-owned
university with all faculties except
that of of Medicine. I have made it
possible for us to have a teaching
hospital. I handed over the facilities
of the then Bauchi Specialist
Hospital to the Federal Government
to set up one and it is one of the
best. I have constructed one of the
best airports in Nigeria and it has
one of the most modern facilities as
at today. It is ready to support the
economy of the country because it
can handle any type of aircraft.
There is a rumour that you are
owing workers’ salaries. Why have
you not paid?
I do not owe anyone any salary. I
have said it before because some
people claim that the state is owing
them one month salary arrears. I
still maintain that it is not true we
are not indebted to any category of
workers. What happened was that I
was going to pay what we call 13th
month salary to workers as a bonus
but since they claim that it is a
debt; I have withdrawn the bonus so
that we maintain a clean record of
payment of staff salaries. Bauchi
state is the only state that does not
owe any salary arrears to its workers.
That is the truth.
www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/2015-with-me-as-governor-jonathan-cant-lose-in-bauchi-yuguda/

Gej till 2019

But Mr yuguda, chief Edwin clark said all of you(northerners) are working against Gej re-election

With or without you, GEJ remain the President untill 2019...

With Me... Jona can't lose election!!!!

But, you were governor in 2011 na, and GEJ lost in Bauchi having less than 15%.

Stop deceiving GEJ

With only one vote wey you get abi.

Lol. Well, exactly one month from today we shall see.

You must be day dreaming

Jonathan has lost it everywhere

GMB for President

Now,I believe politicians are synonymous with lies,imagine yuguda saying this things? Some college of education staffs have one month salary with you,teachers under Tsc, students scholarship, general hospital azare staffs among others.