BAUCHI PDP DISOWNS FCT MINISTER

The newly inaugurated working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State has again said the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bala, is not a member of the party.

Secretary of the committee, Alhaji Samaila Brugga, disclosed to journalists on Friday in his office shortly after the new executive was sworn in at the party secretariat on Maiduguri Road.

The inauguration was supervised by the PDP National Vice Chairman (North East), Senator Paul Wampana, and attended by the state governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda.

Shortly after the meeting, Brugga said: 'As far as the party in the state and Alkaleri local government and Duguri ward where the minister is from is concern, we have not registered him yet.

'I will advise him to go and get our constitution and find how we do it.'

Asked if the presence of Senator Wampana at Mohammed's declaration in Alkaleri was not an endorsement, the Secretary said it was not. Brugga said: 'Wampana is second to the minister in the FCT board. As far as we are concerned, it is our own responsibility to accept Bala and not the zonal responsibility.'

On the emergence of the 26-member executive, which has Alhaji YaroYaro as chairman, the secretary explained: 'We came in through harmonization.' He added: 'Before the coming of Governor Isa Yuguda in June 2009, there was an existing structure, elected into office.

'Yuguda came in with his government- the national leadership of the party deemed it necessary that his followers should be part of the party structure. 'Similarly, those of the existing structure were expected to be part of his government and that is what brought the harmonisation that we are seeing today,' he said.