The Chief of Staff, Bauchi State Government House, Architect Audu Sule Katagum and other personalities are presently being considered to fill the vacant Bauchi deputy governor’s seat.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This followed the resignation of the former deputy governor, Engineer Nuhu Gidado, on Wednesday.
Sources disclosed that Architect Katagum may eventually emerge as the new deputy to Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
Katagum, a close ally of the governor is seen as a powerful figure in the governor’s inner circle.
According to one of the sources, the Chief of Staff had been penciled down long ago by Governor Abubakar to serve as his running mate for the 2019 election when the possibility of Gidado’s resignation became imminent.
The resignation of Engineer Nuhu Gidado, according to the source, did the magic, more so it had provided a chance for Katagum zone to possibly produce the next deputy governor.
“He is going to pick Audu Sule Katagum; the zone had been agitating and there is intense political rivalry between Katagum and Jama’are where the ex-deputy governor came from. That was why Katagum zone had not been giving the government the needed support because they said they were marginalized despite their numerical strength when it comes to election.
“With the recent development, the deputy governorship position will be shifted to Azare,” he said.
“With this development, all he needs to do is to confirm the Chief of Staff as the deputy and then pacify Jama’are zone by appointing someone from a neighbouring local government, probably Itas/Gadau or any other place than Jama’are and make him the Chief of Staff to replace Audu Sule Katagum.
“Since he voluntarily resigned, he had relinquished a very important position belonging to Jama’are zone. So, it will be better for the governor to give the position elsewhere and win new supporters than to appoint someone from Jama’are.
“Tactically, it will not be the best for the governor to pick someone from Jama’are because the former deputy governor who resigned has his supporters who will move with him.
So, if he appoints someone from Jama’are, he will have a 50-50 chance because some will support the former deputy while others will support the newly appointed one from the same place,” he said.
Another person being touted as deputy governor is Baba Suleman Katagum, a former Minority Leader in the Bauchi State House of Assembly.
Baba, who also hails from Katagum, is believed to be a fearless grassroots politician suited for the post, with many saying his youthfulness would swell support for the governor in 2019.
He is at present the Director-General of Bauchi State Geographic Information System (BAGIS) and had campaigned vigorously for the emergence of the governor.
Others reportedly being considered for the seat, according to reports, include the member representing Azare/Madangala constituency in the Bauchi State House of Assembly and a retired banker and brother to the minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.
