Bauchi state governor issued a stark warning Thursday that opposition forces would “declare war” if the ruling All Progressives Congress administration continues to wield government agencies against political rivals, amid fresh claims of harassment through anti-graft probes.
Bauchi’s Bala Mohammed, a member of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, leveled the accusation while accepting an award as Safety Ambassador from the Safety Institute of Nigeria in the northeastern city.
He cited personal experiences, including waking to terrorism allegations against him and the detention of his commissioner by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, despite his gubernatorial immunity shielding him from direct prosecution.
“God is wonderful. I don’t have to say anything. I don’t even have to go to the public court, but certainly, politics has become something else in Nigeria,” Mohammed said.
“The APC-led Federal Government thinks it can use the courts and institutions of government, like the EFCC, to persecute and prosecute Nigerians who are not in their party. If they don’t stop, we’re going to declare war,” he added.
The remarks underscore escalating tensions between the APC, in power federally since 2015, and opposition groups accusing it of weaponizing state bodies to stifle dissent ahead of the 2027 elections.
