When Bola Tinubu stretched his reach to the north, Bitrus was his first attempt at planting a Governor for himself in the north.

Bitrus pooled me in as his Finance/Welfare Director until AD party members in Taraba State and the Bola Tinubu man in the team protested it.

Under intense pressure, which I saw him weather, and of which we talked about most times because we share the same bed always during our travels.

At a point he made me feel like he was degrading me to his aide, creating some distance. On a particular day he sneaked out on me. I go everywhere with Bitrus because he brought me from Port Harcourt. Bitrus relied so much on the advise I gave him: I remained his Chief Planner. Until I left the team I was Head of secretariat: strictly because of my talents. My committed, intelligible abilities create the spaces I occupy in life.

On this day, we had left Lagos after a week long wait to see Governor Tinubu to return from London. He met us on the day we left Lagos at 02:00 hours, we were guests of the Governor of Ondo State, Ade Adefarati (August 2002).

As a member of the AD National Convention Planning Committee, Bitrus had a meeting of that committee, and both of us were to pass on from Akure to Ado Ekiti for the meeting with the Chairman CPC, Governor Niyi Adebayo, then Governor of Ekiti (Incumbent Minister of Trade) while the entourage returns from Akure to Abuja. We were short in cash.

On that day, Bitrus woke early while I was still sleeping, and left for Ado Ekiti without me. I woke up to meet some distasteful responses while attempting to inquire about him: the driver was the one who helped me out - Bitrus was advised to go to Ado without me. And the leaders behaved to me as people who have won over me. Yes! I was Bitrus' brother and not a Party man.

I joined the team to Abuja and the ridicules I suffered throughout the journey, especially from Bola Tinubu's man, Chief Odurinde, led to my making up my mind to leave Abuja back to PH immediately I arrived - the hate was too much.

When we arrived Abuja, I spent that very night preparing my accounts, wrote a letter, went to see Stella, his wife, left whatever I had which were his with her, and told her I need to meet an emergency in PH, and I left at dawn.

I have long regretted taking that action. In the letter I left for him, I told Bitrus that "...even when you become a governor, I will never serve you. I will remain your friend. I am fed up. I am gone back home."

A few months after, Rev Dr Manzo Abubakar, our Campaign DG called and informed me that Bitrus had accepted to step down for Governor Jolly Nyame. Herelies my regret for leaving Bitrus at the most crucial point of his political career. He needed me to make that decision for him.

If I did not leave, there was no way I would have allowed Bitrus capitulate. I would have reviewed Bola Tinubu's commitment to him seriously.

I am convinced that destiny had it that Bitrus would have been the Executive Governor of Taraba State from 2015, if he held his AD team tightly, but we played it offside. I fainted in the day of adversity. I regret my small strength.

My friend sneaked out on me, leaving me in the hands of wolves. This has been my regret with that adventure. I was sure that Bitrus would not win that 2003 election. But I was sure that he would become a member of the Lagos State Executive Council, at the level of a Political Adviser (Rep North). He was already due for that. I was to point that out to him to pursue.

I have never told anyone this story. This is it now. God brought us together to compliment each other. He touched my life deeply, and I touched his own deeply too. We had no secrets between us. It was my decision to leave, what is now in very bad taste.

May his soul find eternal rest in Christ, Amen.

Noted