On June 10, Governor Buni inaugurated a group of 17 local government chairmen, among whom was Machina, the younger brother of Alhaji Bashir Albishir Bukar, the Emir of Machina. These chairmen had achieved victory in the elections held just two days prior, on June 8.
The government cited misconduct and insubordination as reasons for his immediate suspension, without providing further details. However, sources reveal that the conflict began when Machina refused to comply with Governor Buni’s directive to swear in other officials at the local government secretariats. This refusal sparked a significant disagreement.
A source further noted, “While the APC in Yobe is firmly under the control of the governor, here in Machina LG, there are factions, with every politician seeking political appointments in this local government.”
The chairman’s disobedience towards the governor’s directive was seen as an act of insubordination, according to the source.
A different source, speaking anonymously, mentioned that Machina’s suspension resulted from a powerful coalition of party stakeholders who opposed his political activities. A high-ranking official from the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs confirmed this narrative, stating that Machina’s suspension was due to disloyalty and insubordination.
He was suspended because they had an issue of disagreement with the state deputy governor, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, over the appointment of the local government secretary,” the official stated.
Machina town’s political landscape is divided into two main groups. One is led by Bashir Machina, who recently competed with former Senate President Ahmad Lawan for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in the Yobe North senatorial district. The other group is led by the Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Hon. Barma Shattima. The appointment disagreement has further widened this division.
The source emphasized, “The faction of Barma Shattima brought the Vice Chairman of the Local Government, while Bashir Machina was given a slot to produce the Secretary of the LG. But when the secretary of the local government was sworn in, this was rejected by Barma Shattima’s faction. They insisted that the LG chairman comes from former SSG Babagwani Machina, who is an ally of Bashir Machina, and thus Bashir Machina should not also produce the secretary.”
In Governor Buni’s absence as he was in Saudi Arabia, the deputy governor, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, instructed Machina to stop the swearing-in of the secretary. However, Machina refused to comply with this directive. The source emphasized that this act of defiance played a crucial role in his suspension.
When questioned about the allegations made against him, the suspended local government chairman responded, “I just handed over the affairs of the local government council to the vice chairman. There is nothing new in life. Now we are into politics. As you know, we are living with our destiny. Either my suspension is political or not, we thank the state government and our parents. We will obey the government directive on this.”
Attempts to reach out to Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu Jajere, the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as the deputy governor, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls and text messages.
