Abdullahi made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Bauchi.

According to him, the laws guiding road crashes are not stringent enough, hence the need for introduction of stiffer laws such as the Sharia Law into traffic rules.

Abdullahi said the measure would instill discipline, encourage respect for traffic rules and promote safe road habits among motorists.

He argued that it would also curtail the spate of ugly scenes on the road occasioned by reckless driving.

“Let us introduce Sharia Law into road crashes, and people will wake up. Our people are too careless, and the vehicle owners don’t bother to check them.

“If we don’t introduce Sharia Law, many road users, especially in this area, would not start thinking twice before doing whatever they want to do. The introduction of Sharia Law will curtail bad behaviour, as most of the crashes are due to negative attitudes by motorists and other road users.

People don’t want to take a rest; they over speed because they want to make money.

“If the law is introduced, by the time you are involved in a crash, it would be investigated; the guilty and his family would also be responsible for anything that happens in that vehicle.

“In a situation where the driver lost his life to a crash, if found guilty, the owner of the vehicle would also be held responsible as it would be revealed that he didn’t do his homework before giving out the vehicle.

“The extant law is working, however, the extent to which it works is very important because in countries where Sharia Law is being implemented, it guides attitudinal conduct to a level that even relatives and friends guide their relations in terms of what to do or not do,” he said.

According to him, the offender is not left alone to bear the penalty, as the Sharia Law equally brings in the family members.

“If stiffer penalties are being attached to road traffic crash offenders, it will go a long way to help us stem all drivers and other road users and make them drive carefully to avoid crashes”.

He noted that the conventional law did not appeal to attitude nor did it take care of conduct to the final end, rather it only looked at the immediate happening while the Sharia law looked deeper into the final happening.

He said, “That is why the Sharia law will be better. If you look at the countries where it is being practiced, it is everybody’s business because your relations and friends know that it cannot be compromised”.

Mohammed, who was in Akwa to woo members of the Anambra State PDP ahead of the party’s primary, submitted that Igbo were everywhere across the country and owned “over half of the country,” therefore, IPOB’s self-determination call was unrealistic.

According to him, the entrepreneurial drive and enterprise in the South-East is a great potential that must be leveraged for Nigeria’s industrialisation.

The Bauchi governor said, “When I was Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Igbo capital investment in Abuja was over 50 per cent. That is the true position; not only in Abuja but also in Kano, Lagos, Kaduna and other states. So, we are interrelated and connected as a people in Nigeria.

We need to stabilise that symbiosis that binds us together. When the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, is talking about self-determination and self-actualisation, for where? When you own over half of the country? God may not give you everything, He has given something to you. That is the truth.

“Because of this, I am calling for this unity and fraternity among us. If the Igbo youth understand this, they will now know the need for peace and unity in the country.”

Mohammed said if elected as President in 2023 he would work to bring out the best in every part of the country.

He said, “I’m coming to bring equity and justice to this country where everybody would be recognised, where leadership recruitment will be fair and just so that all sections of the country will have a sense of belonging. We will do it, I have benefited from this kind of justice and it is the only way out of Nigeria’s problems.”

While urging the Anambra PDP members to support him at the party’s primary, Mohammed said he was aware that one of their own was also in the presidential race but they should consider his own competence.

According him, North-East and South-East are suffering the same fate as the only zones that have not produced the President.

“I know that your son is coming out for the Presidency; if he emerges I will support him but if I emerge, I will go with all of you. We must not allow this country to collapse because if it collapses we will all suffer and blames ourselves.

My work as a minister, senator and others has exposed  me to the problem of the country and I have gathered better experience to lead this great country to united Nigeria  where there will be  justice and fairness and every person is respected as a citizen.

“I supported that every Nigerian should be respected where he goes. I am not unaware of the feelings of South, especially the South-East on zoning, but let us look at the issues in context. The South-East and the North-East are suffering the same; the North-East has not been there just like the South-East.We cannot produce President alone, we have to do it,   persuasively. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I am standing here before you, offering myself to serve and return Nigeria to greater height and greatness. With you, we will rebuild and re-launch this country so that we can regain our national pride.If you are voting as a delegate, vote wisely. If you have a better person, vote him or her. If I am not the best, don’t vote for me. But I know I am the best.I have the experience and capacity to lead this country to greater glory, but if at the primary I am not elected I will support whosever that emerges so that Nigeria can get out of the mess.”

The Special Adviser, Media & Publicity to the Governor, Mukhtar Gidado, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, June 9, said the dissolution affected other political appointees including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Chief of Staff (COS)

He pointed out that the Special Adviser Security, Special Adviser National and State Assembly Liaison and Special Adviser Social Investment, are not affected by the dissolution.

According to the Governor, all Commissioners are to hand over the affairs of their Ministries to their respective Permanent Secretaries.

Read the full statement below:

His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State Sen. Bala A. Mohammed CON (Kauran Bauchi) has approved with immediate effect the dissolution of members of the State Executive Council and other political appointees that include, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the Chief of Staff (COS) Government House and all Special Advisers, except the following:-

1. Special Adviser Security;
2. Special Adviser National and State Assembly Liaison;

iii. Special Adviser Social Investment;

1. Special Adviser Media and Publicity.

All Commissioners are to handover the affairs of their Ministries to their respective Permanent Secretaries, while the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the Chief of Staff (COS) Government House and other affected Special Advisers are to handover to the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Government House who is equally directed to take inventory of government property.

His Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammed while thanking the affected political appointees for their meritorious service to the State, wished them the very best in their future endeavours.

Lawal Muazu, the Special Assistant to the governor on New Media, said the governor announced the suspension at a stakeholder meeting earlier today May 20.

He said worship centres are expected to open throughout the state with the total observance of all COVID-19 precautionary measures which includes wearing a face mask, social distancing among others. He said the lifting of the lockdown will be reviewed in two weeks based on the compliance of the stipulated guidelines.

The state currently has 224 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Bauchi state deputy governor, Senator Baba Tela told journalists that deaths recorded in Azare area of the state were caused by the seasonal heatwave and not Coronavirus.

He said “On the issue of deaths that have been happening in Azare, we got different reports. Some people said five deaths have been recorded, others said 300 people died in the last two to three days. I personally went and spoke to people who work at mortuary and bury people. I discovered that yes, there have been a number of deaths. This death is seasonal. It happens like that sometimes when it is very hot or cold. The same thing happened in Kano and Jigawa. We are all around the same axis. But I can tell you and I am very sure, the number of deaths is nowhere near what people are saying.”

Mr Mohammed, who was the index case of COVID-19 in Bauchi, told journalists last week that amongst the medications that he used in treating the deadly virus were Chloroquine, Zithromax, and Vitamin C.

Asked if he was worried by the backlash trailing his pronouncement on the treatment of COVID-19, Mr Mohammed said he owed no apology on what he said.

He said “Pertaining to what I said last week that I was misquoted, I was a COVID-19 patient. And I have been asked, how did I get cured? And I said how I got cured and I recommended what should be done. It was my own recommendation and not that of the state committee. I have no apology for saying that I used Chloroquine, Zithromax, and Vitamin-C to get treatment and Allah cured me. To me, it’s better you take something, rather than sit down and die. We have not recorded any death in Bauchi… That one that died came after the test. And you can see we have plenty of patients. And by the grace of God, Allah will heal our patients. Other countries are using other forms of medication. It is not an issue of Chloroquine alone. It is a common knowledge that COVID-19 has no vaccine or drugs; we are just groping in the dark. But still, if you have symptoms of fever you can take chloroquine. If you have the symptom of infection you can still take Zithromax and get well; if you have symptoms of pains you can still take panadol and get well; you don’t even need a doctor for that. But the doctors are the ones prescribing this. I didn’t take the Chloroquine on my own, and I am not recommending that people should go and use this without the recommendations of their case managers. All I was relieving was my experience.”

Recall that the governor announced via Twitter in March that he had tested positive for the virus and would be going into isolation.

Giving an update on Twitter this evening, the Governor wrote “Alhamdulillah. I just received the green light. My second test for #COVID19 returned negative. I thank you all for your prayers & support even while I was in isolation. Most importantly, all the praises & thanks be to Allah – the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.”

The statement revealed that the governor and Atiku’s son met on an Aero Contractor flight.

Read the statement below