By Malam Saadu Umar

First things first. Let’s start with the accused. And what’s an accused? By law, “an accused is a person officially charged with a crime or put on a trial before a court.” That is Yakubu Adamu “PhD”, the candidate of the APM in the February 6, 2027, gubernatorial election. The definition of accused fits Yakubu to perfection.

One can still picture Yakubu in white kaftan and black cap cutting a sombre look, downcast and subdued, hemmed in by masked EFCC operatives wearing red jackets in the hallowed halls of the Federal High Court in Abuja flashed all over NTA, Channels and front pages of newspapers.

Yakubu is currently facing a twin-criminal prosecution before the Federal High Court Abuja, according to reports by all the media outfits, including Daily Trust, This Day, the Nation, Premium Times, NTA, Channels TV and TVC.

In the first criminal case, the EFCC brought Yakubu before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, charging that he laundered, or as Falana, SAN will bluntly say, stole N5.79 billion, money belonging to the people of Bauchi State. Yakubu was not alone in the case; Muntaƙa Duguri and others were co-accused according to the Case No. FHC/ABJ/CR/694/2025.

Yakubu’s second criminal case is more serious: it involves Terrorism financing! The EFCC is now charging him before Justice Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja. (He was first arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite). In the charge no. FHC/ABJ/CR/705/2025, the EFCC said that Yakubu, and others, received $9.7 million, money belonging to Bauchi people and gave it to a Taraba man named Bello Badejo, President of the exclusive Fulani group, Miyetti Allah. No contract signed. No budget captured it. No paper trails. No nothing. The millions of Dollars Yakubu took and gave to Badejo were used wholly or partly for TERRORISM financing, according to the EFCC. Of course, the charge sheet contains other counts of criminality, including money laundering and conspiracy.

In the last two jobs he held, as can be gleaned from the EFCC cases against him, Yakubu failed to live above board or fair and square. He didn’t discharge his duties honourably. He appeared corrupt, dishonest and fraudulent!

As the Bauchi branch manager of Polaris bank, the EFCC accused Yakubu of criminal conduct, fraud and dishonesty that resulted in his ongoing prosecution as described above.

Similarly, as the commissioner of finance, Yakubu got even worse. The allegations got graver. He stands accused of diverting billions of Bauchi funds in support of terrorist activities. As alleged, Yakubu got involved in money laundering on a scale never seen before in the history of Bauchi State. Billions and billions and billions of Naira belonging to Bauchi people were either diverted, laundered, disappeared or fraudulently taken for illegal purposes while he held sway as commissioner of finance.

Now, if Yakubu was found to be corrupt, dishonest and fraudulent, both as a bank branch manager and as a commissioner, as EFCC alleged; can we trust him to not be corrupt, dishonest and fraudulent as a governor if elected?

Granted, allegations and convictions are entirely two different things, but an accused person, any accused person, like Yakubu, belongs more in the dock defending the 15 count criminal charges against him—including terrorism financing, money laundering, conspiracy and corruption—than going around the state delivering sterile and spurious stumping speeches.

Let’s face it, this young man so accused can never be a decent choice for the good people of Bauchi State. These credible allegations are too weighty to be ignored. Yakubun Bauchi, the great saint that founded Bauchi on principles of honesty, integrity and justice would be turning in his grave if he knew this accused is vying for the governorship of his beloved, immaculate Bauchi while dropping his name in the process.

Bauchi deserves better. It deserves better than an accused person. Better than Yakubu Adamu.
To be continued.

Umar, a lawyer, is the Chairman of APC Publicity Committee, Bauchi State. He can be reached via:[email protected]