Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has warned opposition politicians against relying on federal backing to secure electoral victories, saying the era of political imposition in Nigeria is over.
The governor stated this on Monday after casting his ballot at Model Central Primary School, Yalwan Duguri, in Alkaleri Local Government Area during the ongoing state local government elections.
Mohammed said recent electoral developments, including the outcome of the Osun State governorship election, had demonstrated that federal influence could no longer guarantee victory at the polls.
According to him, the decision by some opposition parties to boycott the council polls instead of testing their popularity before voters was a tactical mistake.
“If they had listened to me, my advice was that they should have gone ahead to test their popularity. If you sit down at home and think that the Federal Government will give you latitude and leeway to win an election, President Tinubu is showing people that he is a democrat,” he said.
Mohammed cited the Osun election, where incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke was declared winner, as evidence that voters now have greater influence over electoral outcomes.
“You have seen what happened in Osun; the people voted, and their votes counted. People should know that there is no person that is going to install them—there is no monarchy here. It is democratic governance,” Mohammed added.
He urged political parties and their candidates to embrace the democratic process by engaging directly with the electorate rather than depending on external influence.
Mohammed also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to conducting an open, credible and competitive electoral process across Bauchi State.
Opposition can’t rely on federal backing to win elections – Bala Mohammed