I’m not aware my traditional title in Bauchi has been suspended —Dogara

Two days after the Bauchi Emirate Council announced an indefinite suspension of Former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara as the Jakadan Bauchi, the Federal lawmaker has claimed that he was yet to be officially notified of the suspension by the Emirate Council.

Yakubu Dogara in his reaction to the development expressed doubt over the purported suspension of his traditional title of Jakadan Bauchi claiming that the Palace was yet to serve him a letter or invite him, in the spirit of fair hearing.

In a statement he released on Tuesday, the member representing Bogoro /Dass /Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency reacted for the first time to his suspension as Jakadan Bauchi, by the Bauchi Emirate Council as well as a criminal suit filed by the state government against him and 27 others over the Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa violence, in December following the 21st memorial anniversary of and book launch on late Baba Peter Gonto.

The state government in the criminal suit yet to commence was accusing the federal lawmaker of sponsoring the violence that broke out during the 21st memorial of Baba Peter Gonto, the late Sayawa nation crusader.

The convoys of the Emirs of Bauchi and Dass were attacked on their way to the event slated for December 31 2021 with some people killed, others injured while Properties mostly buildings and cars were destroyed by yet to be identified hoodlums.

In his reaction, entitled ‘My take on my purported suspension as Jakadan Bauchi’, Yakubu Dogara stated: “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t join issues with the Emirate Council because of the respect I have for both the emir and the council”.

“But because there is a ludicrous and legally inchoate criminal complaint filed against me and others by the Governor of Bauchi and his moneybag lackeys, who are at the centre of it all, I have decided to state my own side of the story, as several well-wishers and even the press have inundated me with request to respond to events of yesterday, to avoid conviction in the court of public opinion”, he stressed.

Yakubu Dogara added that if his name was truly mentioned, Bauchi Emirate, which is one of the oldest in the country, should have invited him for questioning before arriving at the decision to suspend his traditional title.

READ ALSO: Bauchi Emirate Council suspends Dogara over last attack on Emirs

Yakubu Dogara further stressed that, “firstly, on close examination, I noticed that the letter of suspension as seen on social media is not contained in the real letter head of Bauchi Emirate Council. That speaks volumes. More so, the reason for the suspension, if true, was that my “name was mentioned,” which clearly is hearsay”.

“Bauchi Emirate is one of the oldest in the country and I doubt they would take a decision based on hearsay, especially when I am available and can be invited to appear before the Emirate council to face any allegations of wrongdoing against me.

According to him: “This, if true, is, no doubt, a violation of my constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing. It is also alleged in the letter under reference that I did not sympathize with the two Emirs over the unfortunate incident involving them, which is totally untrue. I, therefore, reproduce below the message I sent to the two emirs in the aftermath of the incident for all to see”.

He stated further that, “It was also said in the letter that I did not show remorse over the incident. As we all know, remorse comes as a consequence of guilt”.

He opined that, “The Emirate Council cannot convict me over hearsay, without investigation and without inviting me to face any allegations against me. I maintain a clear conscience before God that I have nothing to do with any mayhem in Zaar land, not least the incident involving the two monarchs, as I had no inkling whatsoever that they would be attending an event that was already marred by crisis before it began,”

By Yemi Kanji

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