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Why President Tinubu should reconsider Abdullahi Gwarzo – Kayode Abdulrazaq

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent cabinet reshuffle, where he fired five ministers, redeployed 10 to other ministries and appointed seven new ministers has raised many eyebrows especially in the wake of the call for reinvigoration of his administration.

The reshuffle has sparked controversy, with many Nigerians questioning its motivations. While majority expect it to be an attempt at revitalising his administrations poor performance occasioned by diminishing hope in the face of harsh economic policies meting untold hardship on millions of Nigerians in the country, the President rather successfully doused an opportunity for a renewed hope breather as many argue that his moves prioritises political interests over performance.

But I will argue differently. Many thought the President would be sacking non performing ministers in his cabinet but he ended up changing the portfolio’s of some ministers that should have been given the boot over perpetual poor performance.

I personally think if President Tinubu’s priority were politically inclined, he would have have had it both ways by retaining people like Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo of the Housing and urban development, who is an astute grassroots politician and diehard loyalist of the President.

Mr Tinubu has severally been criticised for key decisions that diverged from public expectations but one will not expect that the President will gamble loyalty, plus Politics, plus performance over just politics.

Touted as a Kingmaker himself, President Tinubu should be wary of historical Precedents where poor appointments undermined leaders authority and ultimately led to their downfall.

Pharaoh Akhenaten, a pivotal political figure in ancient Egyptian history, known for his radical reforms and mysterious reign and whose enigma has continued to captivate historians and scholars till date, appointed advisors who mismanaged the economy and alienated nobles.

Akhenaten the tenth ruler for the eighteenth dynasty who reigned from in 1353 – 1336 BCE, surrounded himself with inexperienced and loyal advisors, rather than seasoned officials. This led to poor decision-making and mismanagement of the kingdom.

His advisors isolated him from traditional power centers, such as the priestly class and nobles, creating opposition and resentment.

The advisors’ incompetence resulted in economic decline, weakened foreign influence and internal unrest, ultimately contributing to Akhenaten’s downfall and the collapse of his reforms.

While the official performance evaluations used to sack or retain ministers are yet to be made public, it is visible to the blind that certain “power centers” and “nobles” are deliberately being alienated, creating a potential “Akhenaten” scenario for President Tinubu’s reign.

At the time analysts are of the opinion that the President should have considered scrapping the office of state Ministers to reduce the cost of governance and to avoid duplication of duties, it is curious that among the sacked Ministers, only Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo was a state minister.

If the official performance evaluations were of any standard and transparent matrics, I dare say, Gwarzo shouldn’t have been sacked. Together with his senior Minister Dangiwa, they have performed wonders bringing a series of reforms, and developing a roadmap to revitalise the Housing and Urban Development sector.

On the basis of the so called scorecard, Hadiza Bala Usman has woefully failed in accessing Abdullahi Gwarzo’s performance even with his position as a Junior Minister.

Sacking a junior minister while retaining the senior minister raises questions about fairness and collective responsibility. Since they work together, achievements are often credited to both ministers. This move sparks concerns about selective accountability, lack of transparency and unresolved issues. Why punish only the junior minister when both are responsible for the outcomes, what criteria justified the junior minister’s removal, and will removing the junior minister truly address the underlying problems if any at all?

Abdullahi Gwarzo, a devoted loyalist of President Tinubu, has a notable political background. He was the Action Congress of Nigeria’s gubernatorial candidate in 2011 and previously served as Deputy Governor of Kano state from 2007 to 2011. During his tenure, he oversaw the state’s water resources ministry, earning him the nickname “Ruwa Baba” (meaning “Water Father” in Hausa). President Tinubu would affectionately chant “Ruwa Baba” whenever they met at functions, showcasing their close relationship and mutual regard.

This is a man who from time immemorial is always at the forefront of defending the interest of the president even to the detriment of his own interest and ambition. It is on record that the National leader of the Kwankwasiya movement in Kano, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ferociously fought his senatorial ambition because he did the bidding of Tinubu during the APC primaries that produced Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

Abdullahi Gwarzo’s contribution to Tinubu’s emergence cannot be overemphasised, he delivered not only his polling unit but his local government to the President unlike his replacement, Yusuf Ata who lacks an iota of political clout or competence.

If the President aims to balance appointments for political correctness and give Kano Central a fair chance, he should recognize that key positions are already held by individuals from Kano Central.

The Director General of National Productivity Centre Baffa Babba Danagundi who is also a grassroots mobilizer is from Kano Central, the Special Adviser to the President Sen. Bashir Garba Mohammed Lado is also from the Kano Central and the Chairman of the Governing Council of Bayero University Kano who was also the governorship flagbearer of the APC in 2023 Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna is also from Kano Central.

Given Kano’s significance as Nigeria’s largest populated state, contributing substantially to the country’s economy and employment, and its historical importance as a major political and trade hub, the President should know that Kano deserves more than Ogun from him.

By political calculation, Kano Central is the weak zone of the APC, even if the entire APC members converge at Kano Central, it will be hard for them to checkmate or defeat Kwankwaso. That’s the NNPP stronghold in Kano and Kwankwaso’s strength since 2011.

It is not to late for the President to reconsider this decision as there is no tangible reason to convince Nigerians and the people of Kano on why Abdullahi Gwarzo was removed as a Minister of the Federal Republic.

What happened to an ACN loyalist and disciple of the Tinubu School of Thought will only discourage other loyalists from standing firmly with sincerity on the mandate of President Tinubu.

The President has a crucial opportunity to debunk the notion that the Yoruba people are untrustworthy by rewarding the unwavering loyalty of a devoted follower. This move would not only demonstrate his commitment to honoring loyalty but also challenge prevailing stereotypes about the Yoruba community’s trustworthiness. By doing so, the President can foster greater unity, understanding and inclusivity within the nation.

Or better still, even if for selfish interest, the President should be wary that by alienating people like Gwarzo in his administration, a potential “Akhenaten” scenario looms.

Kayode Abdulrazag writes from Sabo Yaba, Lagos.

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Opinion

Izala Sect: Crisis of Leadership, Accusations of Shiism Meddle in Polarising Its Members, History Repeats Itself

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By Yakubu Nasiru Khalid

Formally, the Izala sect was formed in 1978, created to eradicate innovation (bid’a) within the Islamic doctrine. It has a modern structure and leadership both at the state and national levels. Therefore, the leadership of the Izala has come with a well-structured and hierarchical bureau and the feeling that they are different from who they see as the “Conservative Islamic Group.”

The structure comprises three arms: the Council of Ulama, the Administrative Council, and The First Aid Group. Each of the councils has its own head and followers to achieve designed goals. Even with this structure, the sect experienced crises at both levels, which polarised its leadership.

The reasons attached to the polarisation of Izala at the national level later descended to many states where the organization has a large following. The reasons were multifaceted, from jurisprudence, political, financial, and external meddling to sundry issues.

Initially, there was a problem regarding the leadership of the organization, especially the question of who was the supreme leader of the organization between the Administrative Council and the chairman of the Ulama Council. At the time, the head of the Administrative Council was Alhaji Musa Muhammad Maigandu, from Kaduna, and Sheikh Ismail Idris was the chairman of the Ulama Council, Jos faction recognized Ismail Idris.

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The Jos faction rejected Maigandu for not being a scholar but a businessman, arguing that an Islamic organization should be led by a scholar, not a businessman. This added more fire to the crisis.

Furthermore, the Kaduna faction was very critical of some views and fatwas of Ismail Idris, especially those that dealt with the issue of bid’a. According to Ismail Idris, the followers of Izala would not pray behind an Imam who’s not a member of Izala, they would also not marry from the family of a person who inclined to Sufism and would not eat the meat of an animal slaughtered by a follower of the Sufi group.

The Kaduna faction was outrightly against these views and opposed them. Another vital factor that played a role in the split of the Izala group was the accusations and counter-accusations of financial management. Ismail Idris was accused of organizing in the Arab countries, and he was further accused of personalizing vehicles donated to the Izala sect.

In addition, Ben Amara argued that the eruption of the Gulf War in the 1990s between the USA and Iraq was another important factor in the polarisation of the Izala. The Jos faction supported the American invasion of Iraq because of the Saudi Arabian interest, while Kaduna supported Iraq. The Jos faction called Kaduna “Saddamawa” meaning (supporters of Saddam) while Kaduna called Jos “Bushawa” meaning (supporters of American interest).

The leadership of the Jos faction blamed Shia for the internal crisis of Izala and accused some Ulama of being secret agents of Shiism who were working toward dismantling the group.

yakubunasirukhalid@gmail.com

 

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Opinion

Gov. Yusuf’s executive order extending retirement age for HoS, Kano Assembly Clerk, and others unconstitutional

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Sani Usman-DanAbdullo, a Director of Admin and General Services at the Kano State Agency for the Control of Aids, KSACA, has written to the state assembly, seeking its intervention in the
Executive Order issued by Governor Abba Yusuf.

Mr DanAbdullo, in a petition dated January 6 and addressed to Speaker of the Assembly, Jibrin Ismail Falgore, recalled that the governor had in January 2025 issued Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, extending the service period of some civil servants.

According to him, the governor extended the service year of the Head of Service, Assembly Clerk, some judicial officers, Permanent Secretaries and a host of other staff in the state health sector for 2 years after they were due for retirement as of December 2024.

The lawyer also recalled that the state assembly had enacted a law fixing the retirement of staff at 60 years of age or 35 years of service, depending on whichever comes first.

Mr DanAbdullo, therefore, asserted that the governor’s executive order was unconstitutional, “since the House has already made laws which the order seeks to alter”.

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He noted that that executive order is not meant to alter, amend, modify or expand the law made by the legislature.

“This act, is, therefore, a clear violation of the principles of rule of law and separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution being not only a clear attempt to usurp the legislative powers of this Honourable House, but to contradict the existing laws already enacted by it in exercise of its powers as such,” the petition added.

While dismissing a claim that the governor issued the order in the spirit of the Doctrine of Necessity, Mr DanAbdullo said there was no justification for extending the service years of the affected retired officers since there are many competent hands with adequate qualifications to be appointed.

“And as for the staff in the health sector, they can be retained on contract arrangement in line with the existing service law of Kano State,” the petition added.

Mr DanAbdullo, therefore, warned that the provisions of the Constitution must not be subordinated to any other law, and must not be subjected to the indignity of deletion of any section or part thereof.

“In view of the foregoing, I urge this esteemed House to employ all legal mechanism at its disposal to overrule the Governor’s decision in the act complained of, which is capable of setting a very dangerous precedent that will ruin the entire public service system of our dear State, if allowed.

“TAKE NOTICE Sir, this act of indiscriminate issuance of executive order, if allowed, will cause the entire Kano State the following catastrophic effects,”

The State Assembly failed to attend to the petition even if it means dismissing it for fear of the governor, if the petition is not attended to we will have no option but to go to court”. He added

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Opinion

The Movement (Tafiyar Matasa) and the Very Big Questions to Answer

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Comr. Habu Hassan Abdullahi

Comr. Habu Hassan Abdullahi

Yes, I am not some sort of social critic who would unfairly denigrate someone’s achievement for personal gain or political interest that I do not have. Thus, this is pre-eminently the right time to speak the truth to the members of my generation in Nigeria whether they care to accept it or not. But remember the truth is always truth and can stand alone.

No doubt that not everyone is happy with how leadership is running in this country, with the exception of those at the corridor of power. But this is not enough to be a raison d’etre to handle our dear nation to the hands of inexperienced youths. Forgive my pen for the use of “inexperienced”. Just because most of them have never been to real leadership. Of course, I am myself opposed to the exclusionary habit of the present politicians, they’ve relegated youths to the mantle of power but we have to cautiously control our faculty of thinking to avoid getting entangled in a lust for power.

I was very happy when I heard the idea of “The Movement” known as “Tafiyar Matasa” in the Hausa language. And of course, the genesis of the movement was attributed to the unavoidable “EndBadGovernance” protest of 1st August, 2024. The movement began immediately after the protest, in fact, it is one of the noticeable outcomes of the protest due to the unity it brought. The idea of the movement was preached and promoted by some prominent northern activists and social media influencers to serve as a last resort to the youths in their effort to bring good governance. No one can deny the fact this is a laudable effort. But the very big question supposed to be asked here is: youthfulness is the only parameter and yardstick to measure the caliber of a good leader? If yes, why Yahaya Bello (Former Governor of Kogi) and Abdurrasheeed Bawa (former EFCC Boss) were arraigned for looting the public treasury! The point I want to make here is, being young or old will not be a determining factor for an individual to be a good leader. We can have corrupt leaders within any range of age.

Another important issue to take into cognizance is the failure of some youths to comprehend the logic and existing distinction between being a good activist and being a good leader. Leadership is quite different from activism, therefore, a good activist may not necessarily be a good leader. It is common knowledge that the conveners of this important movement lack practical leadership acumen and organizational skills that are fundamental for successful leadership. Okay, should we handle our future to the trial and error leaders? We have to exercise extraordinary care when it comes to leadership.

Yet another problem faced by this movement is financial constraints. To be sincere and frank, the quantum resources required to run a great national political movement like this oversizes the pockets of the conveners. Another organic question to ask here is: where the movement conveners can solicit humongous financial resources? From the politicians they are castigating? If yes, this is performative contradiction!

Finally, I would like to remind my fellow youths that new breed, as the late Yusuf Maitama said, cannot solve the Nigerian problem. There must be mutual cooperation and understanding between the new breed and old breed. We must work together with them to acquire all necessary experience, knowledge, and practical leadership skills.

Written by
Comr. Habu Hassan Abdullahi
From Bayero University, Kano
Department of Education
Contact via 07065941454 or habu92hassan@gmail.com

 

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