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2023 And The Toughtened Top Dog In Tinubu

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3 years ago

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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.

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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.

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Kano Ex-Deputy Governor Gawuna Joins ADC After Resignation from APC

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March 31, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nasiru Gawuna, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, has formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Gawuna, a former deputy governor of the state, received his membership card on Tuesday at his ward in Gawuna, Nasarawa Local Government Area. The event drew a large gathering of supporters and notable political figures, including former Governor Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, immediate-past Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo, and the state ADC chairman, Musa Ungogo.

Speaking after the registration, Gawuna thanked his supporters and party leaders, pledging his commitment to strengthening the ADC in Kano State.

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His defection follows a formal resignation from the APC, which he described as a personal and voluntary decision. In a letter dated March 29, 2026, addressed to his ward chairman, Gawuna expressed appreciation to the APC for the opportunity to serve.

The move also comes after his resignation as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, effective March 31, 2026. His departure from the role complied with a directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu requiring political appointees to resign in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Gawuna thanked the president for the trust reposed in him, noting it was an honor to serve in various capacities, including as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Bayero University, Kano.

Political observers view Gawuna’s entry into the ADC as a significant boost for the party, given his political influence and strong showing in the 2023 governorship election, where he secured 890,705 votes.

The development is the latest in a series of political realignments in Kano State ahead of the 2027 general elections, signaling continued shifts in the state’s political landscape.

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JUST IN: Senate Approves Tinubu’s $6 Billion Loan Request

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3 hours ago

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March 31, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Senate on Tuesday approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to secure $6 billion in external loans, granting legislative backing for the facilities hours after the Executive formally sought approval to finance critical infrastructure and address fiscal gaps.

The approval followed the consideration of a report submitted by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Aliyu Wamakko (APC, Sokoto North).

In a letter read during plenary, President Tinubu sought approval for two separate facilities: a $5 billion loan from Abu Dhabi Bank to support budget deficit financing and meet existing debt obligations, and a $1 billion loan from UK Export Finance through Citibank London to fund the rehabilitation of the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port.

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According to the President, the port rehabilitation projects aim to address longstanding operational challenges, improve efficiency, enhance safety standards, support non-oil trade diversification, and position Nigeria as a regional trade hub.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the requests to the committee for expedited consideration, a directive that culminated in Tuesday’s approval.

The latest borrowing comes amid the Federal Government’s sustained reliance on domestic and external loans to finance budget deficits. Four months ago, the National Assembly approved a separate request to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to fund the 2025 budget deficit.

In its report, the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts noted that the 2025 Appropriation Act provides for total expenditure of N59.99 trillion—an increase of N5.25 trillion from the Executive’s initial proposal—highlighting the widening fiscal gap driving the government’s borrowing strategy.

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El-Rufai’s Bail Hearing Adjourned to Wednesday as Security Tightens Around Kaduna Court

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3 hours ago

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March 31, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal High Court in Kaduna has adjourned the bail hearing for former Governor Nasir El-Rufai until Wednesday, March 31. Justice Rilwanu scheduled the new date after hearing arguments from both the defense and prosecution.

El-Rufai was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a 10-count charge involving the alleged conversion of public property and money laundering. The former governor pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In a separate case, El-Rufai also appeared before a Kaduna State High Court on charges of abuse of office, fraud, and intent to commit fraud. The ICPC filed charge number KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26 against him and one other defendant, Amadu Sule, from the Kaduna State Development Agency (LEDA).

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According to the News Agency of Nigeria, El-Rufai arrived at the Federal High Court premises at approximately 9:40 a.m. in the company of ICPC officers.

Security was heightened across the Kaduna metropolis ahead of the proceedings. Armed personnel from the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Kaduna State Vigilance Service were deployed to strategic locations. Access to the court was restricted to accredited journalists and court officials, though media representatives were barred from entering the courtroom to cover the proceedings.

Counsel for El-Rufai, Abdul Adamu, declined to comment after the session, stating only that the case “has been adjourned till tomorrow.”

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