Senator Shehu Umar has expressed shock over the decision of Bauchi Emirate to withdraw his chieftaincy title of ‘Mujaddadin Bauchi’ for allegedly insulting Governor Bala Mohammed.

Mr Umar, in a letter addressed to the emirate on Thursday, said, “While I have accepted the decision of the Emirate, I adhere to a policy of constructive criticism and refrain from use of abusive language.”

Mr Umar said his response to Mr Bala’s disparaging comments against President Bola Tinubu was aimed at defending the Nigerian leader against what he perceived as calculated attempts to tarnish his reputation and sow public discord.

He said the governor’s comments were confrontational, accusatory, abusive, and defamatory.

Mr Umar is the chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence.

“I received with utter shock a letter dated August 14, informing me of the Bauchi Emirate Council’s decision to withdraw my traditional title of Mujaddadin Bauchi. This decision was made over an allegation that I insulted Governor Bala Mohammed during a rally.

“Meanwhile, I must state that during the recent APC campaign flag-off, I responded to the governor’s disparaging comments on President Bola Tinubu, which I felt were calculated to expose the President to public contempt and disaffection.

“In some of the multimedia contents that have gone viral, the governor’s rhetoric is confrontational, accusatory, abusive and defamatory. Some of the emotive language, including President Tinubu of ‘lying to us’, ‘deception’, ‘causing pain’, ‘anger and hunger’ to appeal to emotions,” the senator wrote in his letter to the emirate council.

He added, “While the allegations by Governor Bala of PDP against President Tinubu of APC are politically motivated, most of them are baseless, unsubstantiated, lacking concrete data and evidence and barefaced falsehood.

“In my response to Governor Bala’s accusation against President Tinubu, I pointed out the following: I refuted his claim that the Tinubu-led administration abused the office, instead, I accused the governor of abusing people in Bauchi state.

“I disclosed that Gov Bala received over N144 billion from the Federation Account in 2023 and over N47 billion from January to date, with a projected N195 billion by the end of 2024. I asked him to justify how he manages the treasury as citizens are crying of hunger.”

Mr Umar told the council that Mr Tinubu was doing all that “is possible to secure the nation, stabilise the economy and ensure peaceful coexistence without polarising the polity, unlike Governor Bala” and that his remarks “were well-intentioned and in defence of a higher authority than a governor’s.”

The senator added, “I register my sympathy with the Bauchi Emirate Council for hastily drawing a conclusion on this matter without affording me fair hearing. I accept their decision in good fate, hoping that in due time, Almighty Allah will send a messiah to Bauchi state to correct this situation.

“I advise the Bauchi Emirate Council to resist any attempt by political actors to drag it into the political arena, serving their selfish interests. I pray for the long reign of the Emir of Bauchi in sound health, effectively piloting the affairs of his Emirate.”

(NAN)