Shehu Buba: A Political Clown in Wilderness

By Samuel Ali Bajama
What instigated some uncouth statements from Sen. Shehu Buba Umar against the Messiah of Bauchi State, Governor Bala Muhammed, remains in the cloud.
But a careful study of the political permutations in Bauchi State shows the entity as blessed and one of the most endowed components of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that gave independent Nigeria its first and probably the last prime minister.
It is therefore interesting to contribute to the ongoing debate in certain quarters on the most ideal person to take over the mantle of governance at the centre and lead Nigeria out of poverty, hunger, insecurity and underdevelopment from 2027 that pushed a political weakling, Shehu Buba Umar to cartoon himself on the podium in defense of clueless and an inept administration that has thrown Nigeria in misery.
I say this, without apology that the most ideal politician so far on the political turf as of today waiting to occupy the highest political office in Nigeria, is the serving Governor of Bauchi State, Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed, as a tested public servant, a politician by accident who at first electoral trial in 2007, got the mandate to the Senate of the Federal Republic.
In 2009, Sen Bala was appointed a cabinet minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria based on merit and loyalty. He is a man so blessed with a first class brain, courage and the zeal to excel in service delivery beyond imagination and even to the admiration of his detractors including the Shehu Bubas of this world swimming without guide in the middle of a political storm.
Several states in the federation excluding Bauchi State under Bala Muhammed are moving on the reverse auto piloting and directionless that must be rescued by tested technocrats and political wizards with the will to serve.
It is crying shame that the once thriving, bubbling and prosperous country has been bedeviled by massive infrastructural decay, insecurity and stagnancy, excruciating economic and unfavorable social policies; lack of transparency, accountability and financial malfeasance, rising debt profile due to profligacy, bad governance and general rot in the governing style that necessitated the August 1, 2024 #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest.
In view of current state of affairs, Nigeria presently is in dire straits under a Tinubu brand of administration that need urgently, a leader with articulated vision, selfless and gamely demeanor, expertise and experience as well as a go-to man in order to successfully salvage our dear country from the unfortunate situation cum economic doldrums it suffers.
Bala Muhammed readily comes to mind for such a tasking task after his second term in Bauchi State that is now a source of worry to national undertakers.
From an opinion sampling across 17 states spanning a period of six months, the man with the highest points across party divide for the demanding governance is Sen. Bala Muhammad of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the universally acclaimed workaholic and uncommon leader-servant. He has blazed the trail in several endeavors. He is highly motivated and positioned to continue to deploy his vast experience to bear and replicate the same successful trajectory recorded in his endeavors into the governance of Nigeria when time permits.
Without going back to details about his uncommon philanthropic gestures and selfless services to humanity, it behoves on all of us to look back at what made the man unique and heads above his contenders in any political race.
There were hues, cries and innuendos about Bala Muhammed’s novel foray into his declared 2027 presidential contest equation, considering that he is not new in the political game. Some people even alluded to the fact that he may be a political spoiler that didn’t cut his teeth in the murky waters of national politics deserving a higher position than what he presently occupies.
Suddenly, on August 10, Bauchi State responsible indigenes were flabbergasted and confused after listening to a posted video imagination of one Sen. Shehu Buba Umar, supposedly a political novice who took offence with the expressed objective opinion of Governor Bala Muhammed on a national issue.
Ideally, one couldn’t have imagined a politician of Shehu’s status, who by accident not merit or credibility occupies a seat in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, shamelessly calling himself a political mate to Governor Bala Muhammed would stoop so low to pedestrian attacks on his claimed ‘mate’.
Shehu was wild with the expressed opinion for obvious reason not far from pecuniary gain from his master who wears the tag of a failed president that habitually masquerades as a political expert without a base anywhere in Nigeria.
The embattled Shehu tried to smear the reputation of Bala Muhammed to please his master forgetting the antecedents of his master in the political space and when he presided over Lagos State associated scandals that are still fresh in our memory and has denied him global respect.
It has never been in the culture of Governor Bala Muhammed to join issues with those he knows and respect but that does not mean he cannot stand anywhere to defend and protect his reputation when threatened for whatever reason.
We had wanted to address all the vituperations and shenanigans expressed by Sen. Shehu Buba Umar as required but as cultured and disciplined people that look up to tomorrow, we have restrained ourselves while waiting for his response.
Governor Bala Muhammed is undoubtedly the type of man Nigeria yearns for in 2027 to continue from where Tinubu stops. A seasoned technocrat that does, not need to dance to the tunes or bend his policies to assuage the feelings of different political gladiators or godfathers, moneybags and political jobbers instead of the dejected masses. He’s a breath of fresh air with no past political misdeeds. He constitutes the much needed refreshing change to the old and retrogressive order stifling the growth and development of the polity.
He is self made and independent minded, so he would not have any pact or allegiance to any cabal but to the good people of Nigeria. The people should take my word to the bank.
Also, it is a fundamental truth that he had his professional sojourn and breakthrough in Nigeria. He has the requisite experiences, expertise, and the standard needed to turn things around in our dear country that are today APC’s albatross. He has the right national and international contacts for ease of reliance for investments into our economy. This will pop up the deflected financial resources and as well open up Nigeria to other nations.
As he pilots the affairs of a complex state like Bauchi with determination and focus, that shall be his style of an all inclusive leadership that Nigerians desire.
He has proved his leadership style which is now a source of admiration from the patriots and that of envy from the weaker and clueless ones. He has the Midas touch to transform Nigeria to Eldorado.
As a good student of philanthropy, Bala naturally became an avid apostle of human development. His personality drive is passionate and consummate. His set goal is a replica of national heroes who left indelible foot-prints both in public and private lives. He is often calibrated for his complete spirit enterprise. View the gentleman from whatever sphere of life, you will discover in him so many attributes, much similar to past nationalists across the divide. From his simplicity to his enviable character, he displays excellent personality in action.
As he has gone deep into serious consultations with responsible team players and interest groups before making up his mind as a reply to the clarion call put forward for the presidential aspiration, opponents are busy burning the midnight oil, brainstorming and day dreaming of ridiculing the hard earned reputation of Governor Bala Muhammed for the presidential struggle.
Not bothered with the antics of those day dreamers, it is only some aspirants within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but not the Tinubus or the Shehu Buba’s that may attempt from dreams to give some teething problems to the victory of Bala.
While APC founding members who resisted all threats to float the party against all odds in 2014 are still around, frustrated and disappointed intruders that found a voice in the APC are now trying desperately to snatch the party for selfish interest not far from greed and lust for power.
Was Sen. Shehu Buba Umar not rescued from political irrelevance by Governor Bala Muhammed at the most ideal time by appointing him as Toro local government council caretaker chairman that served as his stepping stone to the senate? Was Shehu not competing for recognition to run errands for Bala in 2007? What really pushed Shehu to the exhibited shear madness to compare himself with his superior and senior by all standards?
Governor Bala has all along kept silent while watching how the busy-bodies are slugging it out within themselves with their attack dogs barking and the clowns and jesters entertaining and calling people names just for ridicule and in perfection of their trade of blackmail to eke a living from suspected sleaze funds in possession of a lousy political novice that bastardizes wherever he serves.
Sen. Shehu Buba Umar and his co-travelers in the blackmail business should look elsewhere for frays not a political giant that has gone that far. It is not a matter of distributing donated bags rice or a matter of peddling lies in the name of service. it is a matter of scorecard display of what Shehu has contributed to the stability of Nigeria as Senate Committee Chairman on National Security and Intelligence.
At any rate, the pudding lies in the eating but Nigeria in 2027 deserves Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed CON, Mnipr as its president to change the narrative and move the country out of the quagmire that may end the rascality of the Shehu Bubas .
Bajama sent in this piece from Abuja