News

2023 And The Toughtened Top Dog In Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

February 26, 2023

By Bala Ibrahim.

If there is anything that played prominent in the build up to this particular general election is the word sentiment. Yes, sentiment, which the dictionary describes as a held or expressed opinion, had hoodwinked many people, such that some of them lost their senses of good judgement, alongside the quality of thinking rightly or wisely. As the results of the Presidential election continue to trickle in, two lessons are revealing themselves relevantly, viz: the pleasure of taking the path of the truth and the pains that could follow fallacy or falsehood.

My friend, Ameenu Ayama had written a fantastic article, in fact, an award winning essay, captioned, THE PLACE OF NORTHERN CHRISTIANS IN NATIONAL & NORTHERN POLITICS IN THE POST-2023 ERA. Because of the failure of some people, particularly the northern Christians, to position themselves on the path of the truth, religious sentiment was played wrongly, and that misguided judgement is now coming with some unpalatable consequences. A portion of the consequences of the misguided judgement was captured by Ayama, thus:

“Northern Christians have shown themselves to be a people whom the larger Muslim population in the North would never trust with to act as their representative or with political power, even on a sub regional level. No national politician worth his salt such as Tinubu will ever trust them or their leadership again”.

Atiku Abubakar and his co-travellers in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, thought they could reap from the misjudgement of our friends, the northern Christians, but because like them, the PDP played treacherous to the zoning arrangement, which would have equitably taken power to the south, they couldnt escape the wrath or anger of those who see their action as a betrayal of trust. In simple terms, they are now going through the pains that follow fallacy or falsehood.

As I write this article, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is positioning itself to commence releasing the results of the election, but already, from the exit poll, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has undoubtedly been portrayed as a tough dog. Although voting is still ongoing in some states, due to reported violence, Tinubu and his supporters have reasons to remain smiling, based on the opinions of those who voted.

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If we go by the provision of the electoral law, that the President of Nigeria is elected using a modified two-round system, and to be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive a plurality of the votes and over 25% of the vote in at least 24 of the 36 states, alongside the opinion poll of people after leaving their polling stations, including the expressed opinion of President Muhammadu Buhari, there is enough reason to believe that Nigerians have danced to the widely held opinion, that power should shift to the south.

The opinion of people that voted in Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kastina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, Gombe and Bauchi, are expressly in favour of power shift. With the exception of states like Adamawa and Taraba, where sentiment was used against common sense, the general mood is to respect the arrangement of power shift. The implication of course is that the tough dog in Tinubu has been toughened.

I don’t want to delve much on the issue of Kano, which is Nigeria’s richest reservoir of crude votes, and the rationale behind Kwankwaso’s stance, but as an APC apologist, I would say to him, THANK YOU MADUGU. Yes, a big thank you to Kwankwaso for depriving Atiku and the PDP, the luxury of playing political polo in Kano.

In 2019, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, got 391,593 votes from Kano, which represents 21.1 per cent of the total votes cast in the state. He lost to Buhari, who scored nearly 1.5m votes, or 78.9 per cent of the total votes cast. With Kwankwaso, a son of the soil in the race now, Atiku’s show in Kano would surely be a show of shame. This would toughen the tough dog in Tinubu, who Buhari said, is poised to be the next President of Nigeria.

Kwankwaso and his supporters may not be in favour of power shift, and I am not challenging them on that, but depending on how Kwankwaso play his cards in the coming gubernatorial elections, he has the chance to make or mar his political future. If he plays rightly and wisely, by taking a borrow from the idiom, he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day, his political future can be prosperous.

But should he miscalculate, like the northern Christians did, the consequences could be politically disastrous, particularly because, in Nigeria, there is no guarantee to permanent political loyalty. Also, the President in waiting is a politician with prescience, and one that is known to deliberately plan and calculate well, how to get what they wants, regardless of the status of who he wants it from. The political sagacity of Tinubu is such that he can make easy, political conversion.

News

APC Youth Activist Rallies Behind Seyi Tinubu Amidst Criticism

Published

3 hours ago

March 20, 2025

Nigerian Tracker

APC youth activist Sadiq Ali Sango has strongly defended Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, against criticisms over his recent Ramadan charity initiative in Northern Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference in Kano, Sango condemned what he described as unjust attacks on Seyi Tinubu’s efforts to provide iftar and distribute foodstuffs to the needy.

Sango emphasized that Islam encourages charity, particularly during Ramadan, and questioned why Seyi Tinubu was being singled out for criticism.
“Countless individuals, organizations, and governments engage in similar acts of kindness. Why, then, is Seyi Tinubu being condemned?”

He pointed out that the Kano State government had allocated over ₦8 billion for the Ramadan feeding program, which was widely celebrated, yet some detractors criticized Seyi Tinubu’s initiative because he is the President’s son.
Sango also cited the example of the Kano Governor’s son, who distributed rice to party members without facing backlash.

The activist further argued that Seyi Tinubu had stepped up to defend his father’s administration because some Northern appointees had failed to do so. “He has taken the bold step to engage directly with the people, promoting unity and showing that this government cares about every Nigerian, regardless of region or religion.”

He also issued a warning to the son of the Bauchi State Governor, accusing him of leading opposition against Seyi Tinubu. Sango urged him to focus on supporting his father in developing Bauchi State rather than engaging in political battles.

The APC youth leader concluded by commending Seyi Tinubu for his commitment to service and urged him to continue his good work.
“We remain loyal and resolute to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration.”

Sango’s remarks come amid ongoing debates over Seyi Tinubu’s growing political involvement, particularly in the North, where opinions remain divided on his role in national affairs.

News

Reps approve Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers with voice vote

Published

10 hours ago

March 20, 2025

Nigerian Tracker

The house of representatives has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request for emergency rule in Rivers state.

The seal of approval for the president’s proclamation came via voice vote during plenary in the green chamber on Thursday.

News

Governor Yusuf Appoints Former Chairman of Nassarawa as Deputy MD of KAROTA

Published

14 hours ago

March 20, 2025

Nigerian Tracker

In a decisive move to strengthen governance and enhance service delivery, Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approved a series of appointments and promotions.

This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Wednesday.

The latest changes bring in experienced professionals and dynamic young leaders, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to excellence, efficiency, and inclusive governance.

Those appointed and or promoted to various positions are as follows:

1- Architect Hauwa Hassan Tudun Wada has been appointed as the Managing Director of the Kano Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA).

She is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects and the Vice Chairperson of Female Architects in Nigeria.

Before this appointment, she served as a Professional Architect at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

Hauwa holds ND, HND, BSc, and MSc degrees in Architecture from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and is among the first female architects from Kano to excel in the profession.

2- Mustapha Muhammad has been named as the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and deputy official spokesperson.

A veteran journalist with over two decades of experience, he previously served as a Senior Broadcaster at the BBC.

He holds BSc and MSc degrees in Mass Communication and is currently pursuing a PhD in the same field.

In his new role, he is expected to work under the Director General, Media and Publicity to support media engagement and communication strategies for the present administration.

3- Auwal Lawan Aramposu has been appointed as the Deputy Managing Director of the Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA).

He was the immediate past Chairman of Nasarawa Local Government and had previously served as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on ICT to a former Kano State governor.

4- Dr. Tukur Dayyabu Minjibir has been appointed as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture.

He is a former Managing Director of Kano Agricultural Supply Company and a Senior Lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

Dr. Minjibir holds a PhD in Agricultural Engineering, with a specialization in agricultural mechanization.

In addition to these key appointments, Governor Yusuf has approved the promotion of two senior officials.

1- Zulaihat Yusuf Aji has been promoted to Deputy Managing Director of Radio Kano.

Before her new appointment, she served as Senior Special Assistant on Broadcast (1) at the Media and Public Relations Directorate, Government House.

A seasoned journalist, Zulaihat previously worked with Freedom Radio Kano, where she built a career spanning over a decade.

2- Engineer Abduljabbar Nanono has been elevated to Deputy Managing Director of KHEDCO.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Renewable Energy and previously served as Senior Special Assistant on Renewable Energy.

All appointments and promotions take immediate effect, reflecting Governor Yusuf’s commitment to a more efficient, inclusive, and result-driven administration.

While congratulating the new appointees, the governor assured them of his immense support and urged them to work diligently in their respective roles to contribute to the development of Kano State.