Dogara disclosed that Wike’s involvement extended to appointing a trusted ally, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, as the chairman of the panel overseeing the PDP primaries in Bauchi.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has alleged that Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, knelt before Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in 2018 to secure funding for his gubernatorial campaign.
In a statement on Tuesday, Dogara recounted how Wike, who was then Governor of Rivers State, provided both financial and logistical support to ensure Mohammed clinched the Bauchi State governorship.
Dogara disclosed that Wike’s involvement extended to appointing a trusted ally, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, as the chairman of the panel overseeing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Bauchi.
According to Dogara, “During the 2018 PDP gubernatorial primaries, we weren’t confident Bala Mohammed could win. His main rival, Senator Abdul Ningi, controlled the state party structure and had a close ally as the party chairman. At that point, we turned to Wike for help.”
Dogara revealed that Wike immediately stepped in, assuring him that he would handle the situation. “Wike asked me to work directly with Chief Dan Osi Orbih. When it was time for the primaries, Wike provided a private jet to transport Chief Dan to Bauchi. Wike covered all expenses and placed no conditions on his support,” he said.
Dogara added that after Mohammed secured the party’s ticket, the team was faced with an unexpected challenge: Mohammed lacked the financial resources to fund his campaign. “Initially, I thought it was a joke, but it turned out Bala Mohammed had misrepresented his financial capacity. Wike came to the rescue again, providing substantial cash assistance to kickstart the campaign.”
He described how Mohammed personally collected the funds from Wike, expressing deep gratitude. “Wike handed over the money through his aide, and Bala almost kissed the ground in appreciation. Wike even provided a private jet to transport us back to Abuja. This wasn’t the only time he helped Bala with resources and logistics,” Dogara said.
Dogara emphasized that despite Wike’s extensive support, he never demanded anything in return. “What is striking is that Wike, often criticized as transactional, placed no conditions on his help. He simply supported us out of goodwill,” he stated.
Dogara concluded by hinting that there is more to the story but chose to withhold further details for now.