Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni
By Ed Malik, A | December 1, 2022
ed@ddnewsonline.com
The tension in the political atmosphere of Yobe State was raised a notch a few days ago, when secondary school buses were deployed to be used for campaigns by the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) in the State.
In recent times, Governor Mai Mala Buni has been criticized by the major opposition party in the State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for intimidation and using security agencies to harass their members.
According to Isa Bulama, who claimed to be a non-partisan Yobe citizen, he said the use of school buses to campaign is “certainly not right because the government is indirectly getting this young men and women to be directly involved in elections when they should be in school studying and not politicking”, he lamented.
Some of buses sighted in the Governor’s campaign train are those of GSS Daura, GGSS Gadaka, GSS Bularafa, GSTC Potiskum, GSS Mamudo and several others.
In his words, a Pokistum based teacher who spoke to ddnewsonline.com anonymously said, “it is the height of irresponsibility to commandeer school buses for campaigns of one party when the parents of the students belong to different parties”
When reminded that the State government probably bought the buses for the schools and could deploy them as it deems right, the Teacher retorted, “Is Mai Buni governor of APC alone or the entire citizens of Yobe, including those not in his party?”, queried the teacher.
What is not clear at the time of writing is the person who authorized the school buses to be deployed for the ruling Party’s campaign activities, as calls to the office of the Governor’s Director, General Press and Media Affairs, have not been through.
Note: This is developing story and may be updated.