A fresh power struggle is brewing between the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, and his successor, Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State.
Minister Abubakar, appointed by President Tinubu, has been serving as the Defence Minister since August 2023.
The development comes on the heels of a similar feud between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his estranged godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
According to reports, the rift between Governor Namadi and Minister Abubakar started with the governor’s choice of speaker for the state House of Assembly, which allegedly breached an agreement he had with his political godfather. The situation was further exacerbated when Governor Namadi appointed technocrats as technical assistants, rendering many of the minister’s supporters redundant.
The former governor’s camp has accused Governor Namadi of failing to show enough respect to Minister Abubakar, who they say brought him into politics in the state. However, the governor’s camp believes that Namadi has shown sufficient loyalty to his godfather and that it is time for him to assert his independence.
The feud between the two camps has become more pronounced in recent weeks, with Minister Abubakar’s supporters delivering relief materials to victims of a petrol tanker explosion without consulting the state government. This move has been seen as a calculated attempt to undermine Governor Namadi’s authority.
The fear among stakeholders is that the ongoing feud could degenerate into a major crisis capable of affecting the fortunes of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections in the state.
