Bala Mohammed

Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (born 5 October 1958) is Nigerian politician who has served as governor of Bauchi State since 2019.

He began his educational career in 1965 at Duguri primary school, Bauchi where he graduated in 1971 with a first leaving certificate from 1972 to 1976, he attended Government School Bauchi where he obtained WAEC.

He obtained his advanced level testimonial in 1979 from North East College of Art and Science.

He obtained Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Maiduguri.

He reportedly fell out with political godfather Governor Isa Yuguda after Yuguda married President Umaru Yar'Adua's daughter and decamped to the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Following the death of Umaru Yar'Adua, Mohammed joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and became a close associate of President Goodluck Jonathan.

He began his civil service experience as an administrative officer at the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs where he served until 1994 when he moved over to the Presidency [Cabinet Secretariat] as the Principal Administration Officer.

Bala Mohammed's rise through the civil service ranks was rapid.

Between 1995 and 2005, he rose being the Chief Supplies Officer at the federal Ministry of Solid Minerals - to assistant director at the Federal Ministry of Power and Steel – to Deputy Director/SA to Honorable Minister at the Federal Ministry of Transport – to Director of Administration at the Nigerian Railway Corporations – to Special Assistant to the Honorable Minister of Aviation – to Director of Administration and Supplies at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

He voluntarily retired from civil service at the level of a director and joined politics.

In 2007, Bala Mohammed contested and won the election to serve the people of South Senatorial zone in Bauchi State at the capacity of a senator under the party platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party [ANPP].

He served as the Senator from 2007 to 2010.

While at the senate chamber, he became one of the foremost outspoken legislators in Nigeria.

Mohammed sat as member of eight [8] Committees – he was the Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Secretary, Northern Senator's Forum.

The committees included Communication, Finance, Public Account, Rules and Business, Environment, Labor and Productivity.

Prior to becoming governor of Bauchi State, he was minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2010 to 2015, and Senator for Bauchi South from 2007 to 2010.

He is a ranking member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Doctrine of Necessity: 10 February 2010, saw Senator Bala Mohammed at his natural state when he courageously called and intensely promoted the Doctrine of Necessity in the Senate that birthed the emergence of the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as the Acting President.

Senator Bala Mohammed's actions paved the way for Goodluck Jonathan, the unassuming scholar from the Niger Delta, to break the glass ceiling of Nigeria's tripodal political monopoly.

On 6 April 2010, Senator Bala Mohammed became the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory [FCT].

He left the ANPP for the PDP shortly after.

While at the FCT, he brought extensive reforms.

Among the reforms were the sanitization of the land administration of the FCT, comprehensive expansion of the major road access Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport road to the International Airport in Abuja, the construction of the Kubwa expressway, the rail track from Abuja to Kaduna, and the Idu rail station.

He also introduced the land swap policy where land was used as a resource to fast track infrastructural development in the FCT.

The Bala Mohammed FCT administration oversaw the installation of solar panel traffic lights.

Other projects executed include the aggressive development of satellite towns, the completion of the Usama Dam Water project.

Also, his administration instituted innovations that served as bedrock of financial stability and employment opportunities – such as the FCT Internal Revenue Board, the Outdoor Advertising [Signage] Agency and the FCTA Emergency Services.

Struggles:  Shortly following the exit of Senator Bala Mohammed from the seat of Minister to the FCT in May 2015 – and the entry of a new ruling party at the Presidential villa in Aso Rock, Abuja, the antigraft agencies began its clampdown on the former minister of the FCT3.

In October 2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] arrested Senator Bala Mohammed and detained him for 49 days.

An Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama declared the detention as illegal and unconstitutional and consequently ordered the EFCC to pay the sum of N5million as compensation4.

Senator Bala Mohammed made clear that his travails were “a clear case of witch hunt aimed at tarnishing his image and hard-earned reputation.”

“For the fact that I am being questioned by the EFCC doesn’t make me guilty and will not stop my aspiration because I know that I have not committed any crime until it is proved otherwise in the court of competent jurisdiction.” – declared Senator Bala Mohammed as he pointed to the EFCC's corruption case against him as mere political witch hunt – attributable to the role he played in the execution of the Doctrine of Necessity.

Senator Bala Mohammed, on 29 May 2019, was sworn in as the Governor of Bauchi State under the party banner of the Peoples Democratic Party having defeated the incumbent Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar 515,313 to 500,625 votes.

The victory was later upheld by the Supreme Court on 20 January 2020.

Bala Mohammed's travails with the Nigerian antigraft after his electoral victory as the governor elect of Bauchi State is attributed to the then outgoing Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar.

According to published reports, he was “the arrow head spearheading the sudden EFCC interest in the Governor Elect.

It is recalled that the outgoing Governor of Bauchi State had been exposed numerously by reputable media outlets for having an incestuous relationship with agents of the EFCC – to the extent that virtually all petitions sent to the EFCC against the Abubakar administration never saw the light of day.

They died a natural death”

Bala Mohammed's remarks to the continued harassment by the EFCC sums up the situation.

“It is completely politically-motivated but I believe in justice and that was why I went to the court of justice.