The eldest son of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Shamsudeen Bala, has taken a jab at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, saying it’s payback time for the role he played in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
In a fiery post on his X (formerly Twitter), handle, Shamsudeen accused Atiku of undermining his father’s re-election bid in the 2023 general elections.
He accused Atiku of betraying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his father during the governorship poll in the state by covertly supporting the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (rtd).
“Atiku vehemently worked against my father’s re-election as Bauchi governor in 2023. He mobilised elites who worked against us,” Shamsudeen posted, in response to another user calling for reconciliation between the former vice president and Governor Bala Mohammed.
The comments add a personal layer to what had largely been seen as political disagreements within the PDP.
Now, it appears those tensions have spilled into the open, with the governor’s son making it clear that wounds from 2023 remain fresh and unforgiven.
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Shamsudeen also dismissed any possibility of a rapprochement, stating that Atiku “would not come down handy for reconciliation” because his family and political allies are not seen as “respected people who have a role to play.”
His outburst reflects a larger undercurrent of internal discord within the PDP, especially in Bauchi State, where prominent party figures were alleged to have worked against the governor at the last election.
Among them was the former Wazirin Bauchi, Muhammadu Bello Kirfi, a once powerful kingmaker in the Bauchi Emirate who lost his traditional title shortly before the election.
Another key figure said to have turned his back on Gov. Mohammed was the former PDP National Chairman, Ahmed Mu’azu, a close in-law of Atiku.
While Atiku recently called for unity within the PDP and urged both sides to resolve their differences, the governor’s camp, as echoed by his son, appears far from ready to forgive and forget.
With 2027 looming, the political drama in Bauchi State may be one of the most emotionally charged sub-plots in Nigeria’s evolving democratic story where personal and political vendetta collide on the national stage.
For Shamsudeen, it’s not just another election. It’s about family legacy, and settling a score.
