A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Aliyu Imam Kafin Sule from Misau Local Government Area, has ...
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Aliyu Imam Kafin Sule from Misau Local Government Area, has strongly criticised the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, accusing him of failing to strengthen the APC in the state and undermining both the party and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election bid.
Speaking during an interview, Aliyu Imam said that despite serving as a federal minister, Prof. Pate has made no significant contribution to the growth and development of the APC in Bauchi State.
He alleged that the minister had never returned to his hometown in Misau to cast his vote during elections, describing the situation as a major embarrassment for someone occupying such a high public office.
According to him, Prof. Pate only recently obtained a Permanent Voter Card (PVC), which he said reflected a lack of commitment to grassroots politics.
Aliyu Imam further alleged that APC leaders and members at the ward and local government levels have continued to defect from the party in Misau, describing the development as evidence of Prof. Pate's poor political leadership.
He cited the defection of former House of Representatives member, Hon. Ibrahim Makama, whom he described as a close political associate of Prof. Pate, from the APC to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in Bauchi State.
Commenting on former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Aliyu Imam said that despite the political challenges Tuggar had faced, he remained loyal to the APC and continued to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He added that no prominent APC member had defected from Gamawa Local Government Area, Tuggar's home local government, describing this as evidence of the former minister's political experience and leadership.
Aliyu Imam also alleged that more than 3,000 APC executives had defected from the party in Bauchi State due to what he described as Prof. Pate's style of political leadership.
According to him, Prof. Pate has little political influence in Misau and does not even maintain cordial relationships with some of his close family members.
He challenged Prof. Pate, Ahmed Damban and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, arguing that none of them built their political careers through the struggles of opposition politics before attaining high political offices.
He, however, praised Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, describing him as a seasoned politician who began his political career in the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and has consistently supported the people.
Aliyu Imam also criticised Ahmed Yarima, alleging that he has done little to support APC members in Bauchi State.
He further claimed that Prof. Pate played no visible role in promoting President Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election because, according to him, the minister was not politically known at the time.
He reiterated that Yusuf Maitama Tuggar remains an experienced politician and a capable leader.
Aliyu Imam also referred to the recent defection of APC stalwart Baba Aliyu Damban to the PRP, blaming what he described as Prof. Pate's poor political leadership for the development.
Turning to former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Aliyu Imam recalled that in 2017, Dogara and others accused former Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (MA Abubakar) of misappropriating public funds and failing to pay workers' salaries.
He questioned the decision to now support MA Abubakar's governorship ambition, insisting that he and his supporters would not back the former governor unless those who made the earlier allegations publicly withdrew them.
Aliyu Imam called on the people of Bauchi State to carefully reflect on the records of political leaders before making electoral choices, stressing that the APC must address its internal challenges if it hopes to achieve victory in future elections.
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