From Andrew Ajijah, Jos.
A group of lawyers, known as Lawyers for the Cause of Bauchi (LAWBA), has stated that Governor Bala Mohammed’s potential defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not prevent his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The lawyers made this assertion during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council in Jos on Monday evening.
According to the group’s Vice Chairman, Ulamat Kabir Admas, the governor’s pending cases at the EFCC and ICPC, which were filed before he assumed office, will still proceed regardless of his party affiliation. The lawyers emphasized that the cases against the governor and his administration will continue to be of public interest, particularly as his second term winds down in 2027.
The group noted that the governor’s immunity from prosecution has stalled the cases, but they expect the anti-graft agencies to resume the trials once his immunity is lifted. The lawyers’ statement reads, “To the average Bauchi person, let the governor join APC like any other politician, but this must not affect the process or efforts to determine the fate of taxpayers’ money.”
The lawyers further explained that the public is anxious to see how the EFCC and ICPC will pursue corruption cases against the governor and his administration, both those that predated his governorship and those that emerged during his tenure.
