Candidate of the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi state governorship election for the 2019 general elections, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad has explained that he did nothing wrong when he was the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
Bala Muhammad stated this while answering questions from reporters in Bauchi about how he won his case against the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) saying, “I was the one that reported myself voluntarily to the EFCC because I believe in accountability. I was in Europe for a programme at Oxford University when I was told that the EFCC wanted me. When I came back, I saw the invitation, I thought it was a routine issue, and I reported”.
He added that “I was arrested, I tried as much as possible, they gave me bail condition which I satisfied, even after I satisfied the bail condition I was kept for 45 days. I took them to court because I expected them to take me to court, they didn’t and of course the court issued a directives and ordered for me to be released but I was not released, that was what took me to 45 days, 30 days after, so the court was not happy and the same court I sued them to, and of course I won the case against them with five million damages award”.
Bala Muhammad further said that, “I am very happy with the judgement because it shows that there is hope in this country no matter the level of persecution, the level of vilification we still have hope as Nigerians because the last resort is the Judiciary which has remain firm and they remain impartial, to a large extent that is what has emboldened me to remain in the country and to play my politics because I know I have not done anything”.
“And of course the other cases in court, I don’t want to pre-empt it, but you have heard the confirmation from the EFCC that there was not a report from the Ministry of the FCT or by any individual, by any group, by civil society group that any amount of money is stolen in the FCT or there is something somewhere fishy about me, but what led to the investigation about me and whatever, was raised against me was supposedly the intelligence and we don’t know what that intelligent means”.
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The Former FCT Minister also said that, “I am a law-abiding person, I believe in accountability and I am ready to account for whatever they are charging me for, most of the charges are there, we are taking them one by one and of course at the end of the day I am very hopeful that with this hope and trust in God and having known that I have not done anything other than adding to the value of services and infrastructures in the FCT, I will be vindicated”.
On the peace accord signed by the all governorship candidates in Bauchi State at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office last week, Bala Muhammad commended the initiatives and asked for Justice and equity from the Security agencies and the electoral body to be fair and just to all at least if they want to achieve peace and successful free and fair election they are canvassing for.
He however faulted the Police for participating in removing the posters of the opposition parties through arrest and even beating people and advised them to provide a level playing ground for all.
The PDP Governorship candidate Pledged to rescue the Bauchi State from ills of decay in all sectors and make a difference through laudable programmes that will develop the state and restore its lost glory.
and then