You had so much power as governor, now you’ve reduced as power – Gov Bala Mohammed drags President Tinubu

Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, expressed concerns about the reduction of governors’ powers during President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which has hindered the optimal performance of states.

According to Mohammed, in an interview with DAILY TRUST, governors in Nigeria do not wield as much power as the president.

Responding to questions on how powerful governors are, Mohammed stated that, “Governors are significantly less powerful. We operate within a federation, similar to the American system we borrowed. Governors are chief executives in their states, but our powers have been reduced by President Tinubu. Unlike our predecessors, we’re not exerting the same pressure on the presidency.

“For example, when Tinubu was governor, he created local governments and had full control. Now, he tells us not to interfere or collaborate with local governments-how is that possible? States cannot function effectively without coordination with both the local government and the presidency. The majority of Nigerians live in local governments and states, and only Abuja is directly under the presidency. Without joint efforts and shared resources, how do we ensure security and good governance?”

Bala Mohammed stated that people arrogated so much power to the governors but that was not the case as power resided with the federal government who controls the resources.

“People overestimate the power of governors. The federal government controls the resources. It takes the largest share and do what they want with it, while we stay silent. They argue that giving states more money would cause inflation, yet they award inflated contracts. For instance, we need railways, not more roads, but contracts are awarded for unnecessary projects.

“Governors are not as powerful as people think. If you become a governor, you’d realise it’s more about challenges than power. You have limited resources, and everyone looks to you for solutions, especially in smaller states like ours, with no manufacturing base. We respect the president, but he should also respect us and not blackmail us.”