Isa Yuguda Humiliates Gen. Buhari

By Israel Goodway
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The Governor of Bauchi state, Mallam Isa Yuguda, yesterday tricked Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, the leader of the Congress for Progressive Change, to the point of humiliation so as to prevent him from attending the wedding ceremony of Mohammed, son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, which event took place at the Emir of Bauchi's palace.

Gen. Buhari, who responded to the invitation of Atiku whose son was wedding to Badriyya, daughter of former Gov. Adamu Mu'azu, arrived Bauchi airport in a chartered flight from Kaduna at about 10.20 in the morning en route the Emir's palace where the ceremony was slated to take place at 11.00am.

However, the Government House, having been fore informed, as it is customary, of the coming of the former Head of State to the state, plotted a scheme to prevent the General from attending the ceremony as a means to demonstrate Governor Yuguda's tacit loyalty to president Goodluck Jonathan. Impeccable source from the Government House told Universalreporters that after a brief consultative meeting with his aides, a decision was reached to disperse Government House protocol officers to the airport, ostensibly to receive the CPC Leader and escort him to the venue but in actual fact with the intention to humiliate him and to prevent him from attending the event.

Thus, when Buhari arrive the airport, he was accosted by the protocol officers who informed him that the time for the wedding ceremony had been shifted from 11.00 to 12.00 and therefore suggested they take him to the Presidential Lodge to wait till the appointed time.

Unsuspectingly, Buhari believed them, but countered that instead of going to the lodge, they should go and wait at the house of his good friend, Alh. Yahya Abubakar. After consulting with the Government House, the officers then led him to his friend's house where they waited. A few minutes to 12.00 the General's entourage left for the Emir's Palace only to arrive and be told by the Emir that he was late as the ceremony took place at 11.00. He then stayed for a few minutes, greeted with the few dignitaries left behind and proceeded to the airport and returned to Kaduna.

When informed of this ugly trick of the Bauchi State Governor, the former Vice President promptly places a call onto Gen. Buhari to apologize for the embarrassment this might have caused him. Buhari assured Atiku that he was unperturbed by the incident as such things come with the territory of politics.

It can be recalled that Governor Isa Yuguda came to office under the ANPP, facilitated by General Buhari in 2007. At the lost of the presidential election by the ANPP, Gov. Yuguda immediately switched back to the ruling PDP. Not done with that, he endeared himself into the family of President Umaru Yar'adua and married the president's daughter. At the death of Yar'adua, Gov. Yuguda was the first to switch over loyalty to President Jonathan. He was quoted as blasphemously saying that whosoever opposed Jonathan was opposing God Almighty Himself.

Isa Yuguda was also among the Governors that signed an agreement among themselves in 2011 endorsing Jonathan for one term; yet he is today accusing the Northern Governors Forum of betrayal of another agreement endorsing Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State as their consensus candidate. Gov. Yuguda was lately again blasphemously quoted as saying that even if Gov. Jang was Iblis (Satan), he will follow him.

Sources close to the Gov. Yuguda believe that the governor was promised Jonathan's support for the presidency in 2015 if it became impossible for the president to contest; or alternatively, be appointed the Central Bank Governor to succeed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. In fact, there are people in Bauchi who are convinced that Gov. Isa is remotely responsible for the current campaign of calumny against the CBN Governor so as to deny him a second term and facilitate for Yuguda's appointment. All efforts to reach the Governor on these allegations failed.