Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has publicly accused President Bola Tinubu and the APC-led federal government of weaponizing state institutions to target political opponents. At a press conference, he claimed the administration is using the courts and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute Nigerians who are not members of the ruling party. "The APC-led federal government thinks they can use the court and the EFCC to prosecute Nigerians who are not in their party," he said.
Mohammed declared he would not be silenced or intimidated into joining the APC. "If they don't stop, we are prepared to declare a war. I assure you, we will not keep quiet any longer. I will not allow anybody to criminalize me because I refuse to join their party," he stated. The governor reaffirmed his stance against party-switching and pledged to continue speaking out against what he described as political persecution.
A sitting governor publicly accusing the president of political persecution is not routine, and Bala Mohammed's war rhetoric over party affiliation exposes deep fractures in Nigeria's power structure. His claim that EFCC and courts are being used as political tools reflects a growing public skepticism about the neutrality of these institutions. If a state governor feels this exposed, it suggests that the space for dissent at any level is shrinking. This confrontation may not change federal tactics, but it gives language to others who feel targeted for staying independent.
