A political crisis is unfolding in Niger State, as Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba has moved out of his official residence and may soon resign from office.
The state is under an All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership.
The move has raised fresh concerns over the worsening relationship between Garba and Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
Garba’s decision to leave his residence near the Justice Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre has sparked rumours of a deepening rift. Sources say the trouble between the two leaders started soon after they assumed office in May 2023.
Insiders claim that a secretly recorded conversation, in which Garba reportedly criticised the governor in talks with other officials, was leaked to Bago. The recording is said to have upset the governor and further damaged their relationship.
One insider revealed that the issues escalated when the governor allegedly called his deputy with a warning.
“The governor called the deputy yesterday and told him he heard that his (deputy’s) people were complaining about the consensus list, and warned him to be careful. That was what triggered the deputy’s move to vacate his official residence,” the source said.
A trusted source close to Governor Bago confirmed the likelihood of a resignation.
“It is true he wants to leave. It is also true that he has removed many of his personal belongings from his official residence and office. From what I gathered, the deputy governor is only waiting for the governor to return from Russia before tendering his resignation. But we are trying to convince him to shelve the idea,” the source said.
He added: “The governor and the deputy had a very good relationship before their election. Unfortunately, things deteriorated recently after some people got between them. It’s about mutual suspicion, like we’ve seen in other places.”
However, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, denied any fallout.
“I am not aware of any fallout between the governor and the deputy governor,” he told reporters.
The deputy governor’s spokesperson, Unmulkhatumi Abdullahi Kuta, also rejected talk of a resignation.
“As I speak with you, His Excellency the Deputy Governor has not resigned and cannot resign. I am in his official residence now and he is also here,” she said.
The issue can also be linked to the snubbing of Garba’s preferred candidate for the upcoming November 2025 local government elections, Babangida Wasa Kudo, by the governor.
Back in March, Governor Bago had announced that APC would adopt a consensus model for choosing council candidates. Party members were asked to submit three names per LGA, from which the governor would choose one.
But the final list, signed by the state APC chairman Aminu Musa Bobi and Adamu Gani, included Isyaku Bawa for Shiroro LGA instead of Garba’s nominee.
It is understood that Garba’s supporters in Shiroro felt insulted by the rejection of their candidate.
Apart from the candidate issue, sources said the deputy governor was also upset over a cut in his office budget—from N50 million to N20 million.
Another source revealed that some responsibilities from Garba’s office were moved to the Deputy Chief of Staff, who is reportedly the governor’s brother.
“The deputy governor was very angry on Sunday night. He had a meeting with his aides from 4 pm until 1 am. He said he would no longer sleep in his official residence and swore nobody would stop him. He ordered all his aides to vacate and sleep in their private residences,” the source said.
“His belongings were immediately moved out. While he was about leaving, the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Barrister Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, the House of Assembly member for Bosso LGA, Hon. Gomna, and some commissioners arrived to plead with him.”
“Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union, and an APC stalwart, Awaisu Giwa Wana, who was crying, also begged him to stay. The deputy governor, however, insisted on moving to his personal residence,” the source added.
Some political observers believe that power brokers from the Niger East Senatorial District—Garba’s home zone—have teamed up with the governor to reduce the deputy’s political influence ahead of 2031, when the region is expected to produce the next governor.
Sources also say there are already plans to replace Garba in 2027.
Meanwhile, party loyalists in Shiroro LGA are planning a protest at the local government secretariat today to express their anger over the treatment of the deputy governor.
Normal ne,as usual.