A group, under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Societies Networks (CCSN), on Wednesday, defended Sen. Shehu Buba against allegations of sponsoring banditry and kidnapping in Bauchi State.
The Secretary of CCSN, Comrade Jabir Aminu, made the position of the group known during a press briefing in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. Buba, who represents Bauchi South, is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence.
Aminu described the allegations against the lawmaker as baseless and unfounded.
“These allegations of sponsoring banditry and kidnapping are not only false but an attempt to tarnish the reputation of a respected leader who has dedicated himself to the service of his people,” he said.
According to him, after a thorough evaluation of the facts and circumstances surrounding these accusations, we have come to understand that this is nothing more than a politically motivated effort to undermine Senator Buba’s contributions to the people of Bauch; State.
He alleged that the enemies of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s lawmaker were jittery of his growing popularity in the state ahead of the 2027 governorship elections and were making efforts to undermine him.
Aminu said the senator had been at the forefront of addressing the critical needs of his constituents, including the recent flag-off of community road construction, the distribution of fertilizers and farming inputs, the provision of food to vulnerable households, and support to religious-based organisations.
“We, as a coalition, had previously been misled into engaging with this matter, but after careful reflection, we have made the decision to pull out of any agreements or actions aimed at using our platform to propagate these baseless allegations.
“We will not be used as tools in a politically motivated smear campaign,” he said.
“We urge the Bauchi State Government to shift its focus from these distractions and prioritise good governance for the people of Bauchi.
“Rather than resorting to character assassination, the government should concentrate on delivering meaningful development to its electorate,” he said.
Aminu urged President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to disregard the petition forwarded by the Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State against Buba.
He alleged that the petition was rooted in personal vendettas rather than facts, and therefore should not be taken seriously.
NAN recalls that Gov. Mohammed had recently accused Buba of being part of banditry activities bedevilling the state.(NAN)
