The name Bala Mohammed is firmly etched in Nigeria’s political lexicon as a symbol of principled defiance, justice, and constitutional fidelity. His political trajectory reveals a consistent pattern: resistance against injustice, even when such resistance comes at great personal and political risk.
His defining national moment came during the constitutional crisis precipitated by the prolonged illness of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who failed to transmit power to his Vice President as required by the Constitution. Nigeria stood dangerously divided along regional, religious, and ethnic fault lines. At the time, Bala Mohammed, then Senator representing Bauchi South, rose above primordial considerations and aligned himself firmly with the rule of law.
In an atmosphere charged with intimidation, threats, and political blackmail, he courageously championed the cause of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, a Southern Christian. His argument was simple but profound: the struggle was not about identity but about justice, constitutional order, and democratic survival. His resolve, courage, and ability to mobilize like-minded patriots helped galvanize legislative consensus, culminating in the historic invocation of the Doctrine of Necessity. Democracy prevailed, Nigeria survived, and Jonathan was sworn in as Acting President before eventually becoming President following Yar’Adua’s death.
Today, Nigeria once again teeters at the edge of a constitutional and democratic crisis as the 2027 general elections approach. The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), amidst glaring governance failures, has allegedly resorted to selective justice, coercion, intimidation, and inducement to weaken opposition forces.
Opposition parties have been systematically destabilized through engineered internal crises. Elected opposition officials are reportedly pressured with promises of automatic tickets, showered with inducements, or targeted with investigations once they refuse to defect. Anti-corruption and intelligence agencies are increasingly perceived as instruments of political enforcement rather than neutral guardians of the law. Arrests, prosecutions, and prolonged trials have become tools of intimidation, while detention facilities like Kuje Prison loom ominously for dissenting voices.
Against this backdrop, Senator Bala Mohammed, now Governor of Bauchi State and a leading critic of the Tinubu administration, has remained remarkably defiant. But for his constitutional immunity, he would likely have joined the growing list of opposition figures in detention or on trial. The alternative strategy appears to be the systematic targeting of his inner political circle. From the Accountant-General to the Commissioner for Finance and other senior officials, key members of his administration have faced arrest, prosecution, or prolonged legal battles under allegations of corruption or terrorism financing.
The objective, thinly veiled, is political capitulation: to break the will of Kauran Bauchi and force him into submission or defection to the APC. Yet, history suggests that intimidation only strengthens Bala Mohammed’s resolve. Instead of retreating, the Duguri-born politician has become more emboldened, more vocal, and more determined to resist what he perceives as authoritarian drift.
Speculation is rife that should these tactics fail, pressure may extend to his family to inflict psychological distress, an ominous development that would represent a dangerous descent into political vendetta. The oft-quoted maxim attributed to Tinubu, “Power is not served à la carte; it is grabbed and run with”, appears to define the governing philosophy of the moment. Unfortunately, while power may have been grabbed in 2023, governance has conspicuously failed to follow.
For Bala Mohammed, his alleged “sins” include refusing to acquiesce to political impositions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and resisting external attempts, allegedly backed by Tinubu and his godson Nyesom Wike, to dictate the party’s 2027 presidential direction. For such defiance, peace appears elusive.
Yet Bala Mohammed’s political history reveals a man who has never shied away from confrontation when justice is at stake. From his formative years to public office, he has demonstrated leadership, courage, and a protective instinct for collective interest. His defiance against injustice is not accidental; it is the defining hallmark of his political identity. Few, if any, have initiated political wars against him without eventually counting their losses.
The broader danger lies not in Bala Mohammed’s resistance but in the selective application of justice that now threatens Nigeria’s democratic foundations. Anti-corruption must never become a partisan weapon. Why have corruption cases against defectors to the APC suddenly evaporated? Why were allegations involving figures like Godswill Akpabio and Dr. Education Beta quietly abandoned? Why has the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, failed to explain the status of high-profile corruption cases once loudly proclaimed?
As even former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole infamously admitted, the ruling party increasingly appears to function as a sanctuary where political sins are absolved upon defection. This double standard corrodes public trust, weakens institutions, and endangers democracy.
While political opponents are hunted, Nigerians endure hunger, poverty, insecurity, and collapsing public services. Governance has been sacrificed on the altar of political survival. History teaches that such paths rarely end well.
Senator Bala Mohammed’s struggle is therefore not merely personal, it is emblematic of a broader resistance against selective justice, democratic erosion, and authoritarian consolidation. Some battles, especially those against conscience and justice, are better avoided. Nigeria’s democracy may yet depend on recognizing that truth before it is too late.
Solomon Dalung LLM, LLB, LB
Garkuwa, Dike Egwureogwu & Igbarman Otarok
Voice of the Silent Majority
igbarman@gmail.com
