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Not Power, but People: Kwankwaso’s True Price for Rejoining APC

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7 months ago

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By: Ashahabu Lawal Rafukka

In every generation, there emerges a leader who carries the hopes of the downtrodden not as a burden but as a sacred trust. For northern Nigeria, and indeed for millions across the country, that leader has been Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. His politics, often misunderstood by the elite, has always been about service, loyalty, and an unrelenting commitment to the ordinary man and woman whose voices are often drowned out in the noise of partisan struggle.

When news broke in Kano that Kwankwaso had declared, “We are ready to join APC… if,” many rushed to interpret his words as another sign of political maneuvering ahead of 2027. But for those who have followed his journey, from the days of the red cap revolution to his current role as the anchor of the NNPP, his statement was not a signal of desperation for power. Rather, it was the voice of a man tested by betrayal, tempered by sacrifice, and now speaking with the moral clarity of one who has placed the interest of his people above personal ambition.

Kwankwaso reminded Nigerians that he was among the founding fathers of the All Progressives Congress, a coalition that once carried the dreams of millions hungry for change. He recalled the persecutions endured at the hands of state machinery, the battles fought when it was neither safe nor fashionable to stand on the side of the opposition. Yet, when the party finally triumphed, he and his loyal movement were cast aside, denied recognition, and sidelined in the very house they helped to build.

The bitterness of that betrayal did not break him. Instead, it sharpened his resolve. For Kwankwaso, politics has never been about personal accommodation but about ensuring that the people who trust him; the artisans, the farmers, the teachers, the jobless graduates who line the streets in their thousands whenever he speaks are never abandoned to the whims of opportunists.

His message to the APC was clear: any partnership must recognise the _Kwankwasiyya_ Movement, not as an appendage to be exploited and discarded, but as an equal force with dignity, history, and a living bond with the masses.

And therein lies the uniqueness of Kwankwaso. In a political culture where defection is often seen as opportunism, his insistence on conditions is an act of defiance against the transactional nature of Nigerian politics. He is not closing doors, but neither is he willing to sell out the very people who gave him relevance. His creed is simple: “My movement and its people are paramount to me, and I cannot abandon them for any political arrangement.”

The People’s Democratic Party, too, has not been spared his critique. He recalled how, even after swallowing pride to return, his people could not secure something as modest as a zonal party chairman seat. The lesson was searing: the established parties of today are more concerned with factional preservation than genuine inclusivity. By rejecting humiliation from both PDP and APC, Kwankwaso has shown that his struggle is not a scramble for office but a fight for his dignity and that of the ordinary Nigerian.

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Those who mistake his stance for stubbornness miss the larger picture. Kwankwaso has evolved into something beyond a career politician. He has become a symbol of political independence in a system that often crushes individuality. His red cap is no longer just cloth; it is a banner of resistance, a rallying cry for the poor, and a statement that politics can be people-driven, not elite-manipulated.

What makes his current position even more profound is the fact that he could easily have succumbed. At 68, having contested for the presidency twice, and after decades in public life, many would argue he has little left to prove. Yet, rather than clutching at the straws of personal ambition, he has chosen to stand on principle. His words carry the weight of sacrifice: “We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.”

In the wider canvas of Nigerian politics, this is radical. Here is a man telling the ruling party that the price of his entry is not a personal appointment, not a ministerial slot, not even the promise of a presidential ticket, but the recognition of his people. By placing the downtrodden above himself, Kwankwaso has elevated the meaning of politics to something nobler than the pursuit of power.

For the _talakawa_ who make up the heart of the _Kwankwasiyya_ Movement, this is not rhetoric. They know the story of a man who, as governor, introduced free feeding in schools, scholarships for indigent students, empowerment programs for widows and small traders, and countless opportunities for the forgotten. They know the man who turned hundreds of youths into graduates abroad through overseas scholarships, giving poor families a chance to dream. These are not abstract achievements; they are living testimonies in thousands of homes across Kano state and beyond.

And so, when Kwankwaso speaks of not abandoning his people, he speaks with the moral capital of one who has already invested in their lives. That is why they fill stadium to hear him, why they march in his red cap, why they defend him in conversations across streets and motor parks. To them, he is not just a politician; he is a servant who has never ceased to serve.

Therefore, the road to 2027 will no doubt tempt many with promises and alliances. But Kwankwaso’s current posture is a reminder that the real measure of leadership is not how many offices one holds but how firmly one protects the trust of the people.

Indeed, by refusing to trade away his movement cheaply, he has preserved the dignity of the _talakawa_ who stand behind him. In doing so, he has also offered Nigeria a mirror, showing what politics could look like if principles were valued over expedience.

Perhaps his destiny is no longer in chasing the presidency. Certainly, his role now is even greater: to remain the conscience of the North, the defender of the neglected, the one man who can stand before the elite and declare, “My people are not for sale.” Therefore, in a country starved of integrity, that is leadership enough.

Undoubtedly, Kwankwaso’s refusal to bow to the seduction of power at all costs is more than a political strategy rather it is a lesson. It tells us that the truest ambition is not personal glory but collective uplift. It affirms that, in a nation where betrayal has become second nature, loyalty to the masses is still possible.

And so, when the story of this political era is written, Kwankwaso will not be remembered merely as a two-time presidential candidate or a former governor of Kano state. Instead, he will be remembered as the man who chose his people over power, who refused to abandon the downtrodden at the altar of ambition, and who showed Nigeria that politics can be more than a game; it can be service, sacrifice, and fidelity to the very end.

Ashahabu Lawal Rafukka, a veteran Journalist, and former Kano State Bureau Chief of NAN, writes from Katsina

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Politics

Kaduna 2027:The Man For The Job, Usman Shehu Bawa

Published

2 days ago

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May 3, 2026

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By Gimbiya Abdu, Kaduna

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Born in Kaduna in April 1973 into the family of Alhaji Bawa Garba – the businessman who pioneered satellite and cable TV in Northern Nigeria and launched the Kaduna International Trade Fair – Usman Shehu Bawa Garba, the 5th of 13 children, grew up with an early appreciation for access and enterprise.

He began his primary education at Kaduna Polytechnic Staff School, continued at Kaduna Capital School, and started secondary school at Sardauna Memorial College before transferring to the American-run Essence International School, where he graduated in 1993. He proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Geography in 1999.

THE MAN BEHIND THE NAME: CHARACTER AND VALUES

Even as a student, Usman Bawa Garba was known as a man of the people, well-liked by his peers and teachers alike, already exhibiting the quiet, grounded leadership that would define his politics.

Humility remains his hallmark. Unassuming and approachable, he consistently seeks ways to make lasting impact in people’s lives. That instinct drives his low-key philanthropy, and he engages freely with all citizens irrespective of ethnicity or religion – a direct reflection of his upbringing.

FROM ANPP TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: SERVICE AND TRACK RECORD

Hon. Usman Shehu Bawa Garba began his political career in the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), contesting for the House of Representatives to represent Kaduna North. He later joined General Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and won his seat in the 2011 general elections, serving as Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, and periodically as Acting Chairman.

As a legislator from 2011 to 2015, Hon. Shehu ABG made impact by delivering people-focused projects across education, health, water and infrastructure in Kaduna North Federal Constituency.

ACHIEVEMENTS

ICT AND DIGITAL EDUCATION

He established and equipped solar-powered ICT centres at Kaduna State University, GSS Doka Boys, and Sardauna Memorial College, and drove early school digitalisation by donating over 400 computers.

Beneficiary schools included Kaduna Capital School, Sardauna Memorial School, GSS Ungwan Sarki, GSS Doka, GSS Independence Way, Nuruddeen Islam School Malali, GSS Badarawa, GSS Hayin Banki, and Rimi College, each receiving over 100 computers to expand digital learning access.

These centres remain operational today, with beneficiaries gaining digital skills, employment, freelancing opportunities and launching small tech ventures.

EDUCATION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Beyond ICT, he renovated classrooms and improved learning facilities in several public schools, including Abdullahi Gwandu College and Kaduna Capital School. Through the Shehu ABG Foundation, he funded free ICT training, SSCE sponsorships, and scholarships for indigent students.

In 2025 alone, the Foundation provided CBT training for 5,000 JAMB/UTME candidates and paid fees for 1,500–3,000 applicants. Internal tracking shows a majority met admission requirements, with many securing placements in tertiary institutions.

The Foundation also awarded health-field scholarships to 100 youths across all 23 LGAs.

WATER AND HEALTHCARE INTERVENTIONS

He delivered boreholes across the 12 wards of Kaduna North, improving access to clean and safe water. Notably, a 40,000-litre water facility was installed at Kawo Motor Park, easing water scarcity for motorists and travellers heading to Northern Nigeria. In healthcare, he constructed and upgraded primary healthcare facilities to strengthen grassroots services, including Ungwan Shanu Primary Health Care, enhancing community-level delivery.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND JOB CREATION

Constituents remember tangible impact beyond speeches. He quietly distributed over 61 cars, countless motorcycles, grinding and sewing machines, irrigation pumps and direct cash support to youth, women, and elders. His private-sector experience in enterprise growth and youth empowerment complemented this.

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He facilitated employment for many young people into federal establishments including NIPOST, National Ear and Throat Hospital Kaduna, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Kaduna, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Immigration Service, and NSCDC.

Through his ABG Computer School and skills acquisition programs, beneficiaries transitioned into income-generating activities, with several now running small businesses in fish farming, poultry, and ICT, and employing others.

SUSTAINED PHILANTHROPY AND INCLUSION

Since leaving the National Assembly, Hon. Shehu has maintained a steady, state-wide rhythm of intervention. His Ramadan relief efforts have distributed more than 10,000 bags of staple food and grains to widows, elders, persons with disabilities, and low-income households, alongside over ₦250 million in cash aid to orphans and vulnerable families.

These interventions are non-discriminatory as Christian communities have equally received Christmas gifts, educational support, and humanitarian assistance.

The Foundation has also implemented education support and relief across all 8 LGAs of Southern Kaduna between 2023 and 2025, reaching thousands of beneficiaries.

Hon. Usman Shehu Bawa Garba frames this as a personal culture of giving “even when not holding office,” aimed at easing hardship and expanding access. While in the National Assembly, his committee experience which included Diaspora, Health, Gas Resources, Electoral Matters, gave him a wide view of Kaduna’s bottlenecks.

THE 2027 MANDATE: A PEOPLE-FIRST GOVERNORSHIP AGENDA

Now a governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for 2027, he has chosen the PDP as the most inclusive and nationally competitive platform to deliver people-oriented governance in Kaduna State. He is framing his record into a platform focused on four pillars:

1. SECURITY: To tackle the current security challenges facing the state, Hon. Shehu plans to deploy community-based security backed by ward-level intelligence gathering; invest in technology-driven surveillance and rapid response systems; tackle root causes through mass youth employment and skills programs.

2. INCLUSION FOR YOUTH, WOMEN, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: Given the diversity of Kaduna State, inclusion of youth, women and persons with disabilities is paramount in building an inclusive, prosperous and united state. In this stead, Hon. Bawa Garba plans to expand access to quality healthcare and education; sustain scholarship schemes, promote digital skills training, and implement targeted empowerment programmes for all.

3. FOOD SECURITY AND ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION: The importance of ensuring food security given the current economic hardship and rising cost of food items cannot be overemphasized. Hon. Shehu outline some of his plans in this regard to include: support irrigation and cooperatives; drive investment in agro-processing, mini-grids, as well as investments in ICT hubs to create jobs.

4. GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE: Regarding grassroots governance, Hon. Shehu is a strong advocate of local government autonomy. If elected governor, he will ensure the local government receives direct funding with full transparency, and he will define a clear role for traditional rulers in strengthening grassroots security and governance.

What makes Hon. Usman Shehu Bawa Garba different is grassroots acceptance across all regions, a consistent record of youth-focused interventions and a unifying approach to leadership that cuts across religious and ethnic lines.

The thread linking father and son remains the same: building infrastructure people can use to live meaningful livelihoods, carried forward with humility and a people-first approach.

Without doubt, S.H.E.H.U. is an embodiment of:
S – Service
H – Humility
E – Empathy
H – Honesty
U – Unity

Not through grand gestures or photo opportunities, but by deliberately and intentionally asking: How can we make the lives of our people better?

THE PLEDGE: Inclusive Governance for a greater Kaduna:
If elected in 2027, Hon. Shehu Usman Bawa Garba will govern through wide, continuous consultation with all Kaduna people – including traditional and religious leaders, technocrats, market associations, labour unions, farmers’ cooperatives, women’s groups, youth organisations, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the underserved – irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or political creed.

His administration will deliver responsive, people-driven services that confront today’s harsh economy: affordable healthcare and quality education, food security via irrigation and input support, jobs through agro-processing, mini-grids and ICT hubs, and security that lets families and businesses thrive.

The measure is simple: no citizen regrets their vote. With transparency and inclusion, Hon. Shehu Usman Bawa Garba will deliver real dividends of democracy, restore dignity to livelihoods, and return Kaduna to peace, prosperity, and its past glory.

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Nigerian Opposition Parties: Divided Within, Weakened by External Forces

Published

4 days ago

on

May 1, 2026

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By Ali Sabo

Nigeria’s democracy is facing a quiet but dangerous shift, not through the abolition of opposition parties, but through their systematic weakening. What is unfolding across the country’s political landscape increasingly suggests not just coincidence or internal dysfunction, but a pattern in which opposition parties are being fractured in ways that ultimately benefit the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the heart of this crisis is the steady disintegration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While internal divisions have long existed, recent developments point to something more strategic. The prominent role of Nyesom Wike, a leading PDP figure now serving as the FCT Minister within the APC government has blurred the line between opposition and ruling party influence. His continued leverage within PDP structures, combined with legal battles over party leadership, which were put to bed yesterday by the Supreme Court has effectively paralysed the party at a critical moment in Nigeria’s democratic cycle.

The pattern does not end with the PDP. The Labour Party, which energised millions of voters in the last election, is now entangled in leadership disputes and factional crises that have weakened its national momentum. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) faces similar fragmentation. Even newer coalition efforts around the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Senator David Mark, are already showing signs of destabilisation before they can fully consolidate.

Individually, each of these crises might be explained away as internal party failure. But taken together, they reveal a broader pattern: every major opposition platform is simultaneously weakened, divided, or distracted. This is where the question of interference becomes unavoidable.

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The circulation and reported video allegedly involving the Chief of Staff to the President, has intensified concerns that these outcomes may not be entirely organic. The suggestion that political actors are being encouraged to remain within opposition parties in order to destabilise them, if true, reflects a strategy that does not eliminate opposition outright, but renders it ineffective from within.

Even beyond that video, Nigeria’s political history shows that power is rarely neutral in moments like this. Influence is exercised through alliances, inducements, strategic appointments, and the leveraging of state and legal processes. When key opposition figures align closely with the ruling establishment while retaining influence in their original parties, it creates conditions for internal sabotage that are difficult to prove, but impossible to ignore.

To be clear, opposition parties are not without fault. Weak internal democracy, personality-driven leadership, and lack of ideological clarity have made them vulnerable. But vulnerability alone does not explain the consistency and timing of the crises now affecting nearly all major opposition platforms.

What emerges is a political environment where: Opposition parties are internally divided, leadership struggles consume their energy, legal disputes stall their progress, and, ultimately, the ruling party faces a fragmented and ineffective challenge

This is how dominant-party systems are built, not by banning opposition, but by ensuring it cannot function effectively.

Nigeria is not yet a one-party state. But if the current trajectory continues, it risks becoming something just as troubling: a system where opposition exists, but only in form, not in strength.

The danger here is not only political; it is democratic. When voters begin to feel that alternatives are weak, compromised, or deliberately undermined, trust in the system erodes. Participation declines. Cynicism grows. And power becomes increasingly concentrated.

The responsibility, therefore, is twofold. The ruling party must recognise that long-term legitimacy depends on fair competition, not strategic dominance at all costs. And opposition parties must urgently rebuild internal cohesion and resist forces, internal or external that seek to divide them.

Because in the end, democracy is not sustained by the strength of those in power alone, but by the presence of a credible, independent, and resilient opposition.

Ali Sabo is a political analyst, and he writes from Kano

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From Grassroots To NASS:Hon Haruna Kabiru Wakili Answers Fagge’s 2027 Call

Published

1 week ago

on

April 25, 2026

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The people of Fagge Local Government Area have praised the efforts, patriotism, and support shown by one of the area’s young men across different aspects of life, despite not holding any political office.

Hon. Kabiru Haruna Wakili has become prominent in Fagge for his service to the community. He is a politician who builds youth development from the grassroots by supporting self-reliance skills and access to education.

Because of his drive and passion to keep supporting the people, the community in Fagge is backing his political journey. They believe that if given the opportunity, he will further develop the area.

Wakili is well known in the political struggle. He has stood on his own, once led a political party, and contested for the House of Representatives in the last election.

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Hon. Kabiru Haruna Wakili is now a member of the APC. He has a strong relationship and good rapport with politicians and the wider community in Fagge, right from the grassroots. That is why, as the 2027 elections approach, many believe he deserves their support.

Youths and elders, men and women in Fagge are urging APC delegates in the primaries to field credible people who stand with the community. They have strong confidence in Hon. Wakili for this election season.

The people of Fagge say Hon. Kabiru Haruna Wakili is with them and involved in their affairs. They believe that if he gets the mandate, he will not distance himself from them, unlike some past representatives who often ignored the needs of their constituents.

Following repeated calls from the people of Fagge, Hon. Haruna Kabiru Wakili has responded that, by God’s grace, he will contest for the House of Representatives under the APC.

He appealed to party members, elders, leaders, and executives of the APC in Fagge, both men and women, to give him their cooperation and support to secure victory.

Hon. Wakili also called on party stakeholders to confirm him as the consensus candidate, since it was the people of Fagge who asked him to run.

He added that even if it comes to a primary election, he is confident the people of Fagge will back him to clinch the APC ticket, and in the 2027 general election they will turn out to vote for him.

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