Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has ordered a fresh, though modest, reorganisation of his State Executive Council, removing two serving commissioners and accepting the resignation of a third, in what his aides describe as a continuing push to sharpen governance and deliver better services to residents.
The changes were disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the governor’s special adviser on media and publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, who framed the exercise as routine housekeeping rather than a wholesale cabinet purge, a description that distinguishes this reshuffle from the broader restructuring the administration carried out earlier in the year.
According to the statement, Mohammed Salis Gamawa, who had been overseeing the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, and Investment, is among those relieved of his position.
He is joined in his departure by Dr. Lawal Rimin Zayam, who had served as Commissioner for Education before being moved to the Ministry of Power, Science, and Technology in an earlier round of redeployments. Both men now exit the council “with immediate effect,” Gidado said, quoting the governor’s directive.
A third official, Faruk Mustapha, formerly Commissioner for Rural Development and Special Duties, leaves the cabinet under different circumstances: the governor accepted his resignation rather than removing him outright.
Mustapha’s departure comes against the backdrop of shifting political alignments in the state, with reports suggesting his exit is tied to a recent move from the Allied Peoples Movement to the All Progressives Congress.
Gidado said the governor has already moved to fill the resulting vacancies, forwarding the names of proposed replacements along with nominees for other outstanding cabinet slots to the Bauchi State House of Assembly for the constitutionally required screening and confirmation process.
He described the step as consistent with the administration’s stated commitment to “continuity and efficiency in governance,” ensuring that ministries do not remain without substantive oversight for long.
In his remarks, Governor Mohammed extended appreciation to the outgoing commissioners for their service, wishing them well in whatever they pursue next. He also used the occasion to restate his broader ambition for the remainder of his tenure: building what Gidado called “a more responsive, efficient, and results-driven government” for Bauchi residents.
The latest changes follow a period of considerable turbulence within the state’s executive ranks. Bauchi’s cabinet has undergone several rounds of adjustment over the past year and a half, including a sweeping reshuffle in January that saw five commissioners removed and eight new appointees sworn in, and a further restructuring in May triggered by the resignation of the chief of staff and six commissioners who stepped down to pursue political ambitions ahead of anticipated elections.
Governor Mohammed himself has also changed political affiliation during this period, moving from the People’s Democratic Party to the Allied Peoples Movement and, more recently, to the APC, a shift that observers say has contributed to the reshuffling of loyalties and personnel within his government.
The House of Assembly is expected to take up screening of the new nominees in the coming days, after which the confirmed appointees would be sworn in to their respective ministries.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Governor Bala Mohammed’s latest cabinet adjustment, dropping two commissioners and accepting a third’s resignation, is a targeted, minor reshuffle, not a sweeping overhaul.
This move fits a broader pattern of ongoing cabinet instability in Bauchi State over the past year, driven largely by shifting political allegiances (including the governor’s own party switches) rather than performance issues alone.
With replacement nominees now before the State House of Assembly, residents should watch the screening process closely, as it will determine how quickly affected ministries regain substantive leadership.
