Senator Umar Tanko Al-makura hopes to dance his way from the red chamber of the National Assembly to the exalted stool of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National chairman but this dream may be shattered by a ‘stumbling block’ in his home-state.
Al-Makura, a former Nasarawa state Governor who is currently serving in the Senate, is among the top contenders jostling for the top seat at the party’s national secretariat.
Meanwhile, on the other side is another former Nasarawa Governor and lawmaker representing Nasarawa West, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. 75-year-old Adamu has indicated interest in the race and has promised to coast to victory even in the face of daring opposition.
For the record, Adamu governed the state between 1999 and 2007 while Al-Makura took over in 2011 and bowed out of the two-term tenure in 2019.
POLITICS NIGERIA, however, examines the intrigues of the contest and its implications on the political fortunes of both Ex-Governors.
Ex-Governors-turn-chair: An APC culture
In what appears to be a trend, since 2013 when it was formed, the APC has opted for former Governors as its chairman. Over the years, the party has had former Osun Governor, Bisi Akande and former Edo Governors John Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole as its national chairman.
Political observers believe this is a culture the party is not willing to jeopardise and if there will be any difference at all, they said it would be the geopolitical zone where the preferred former Governor would hail from.
POLITICS NIGERIA recalls that after Tuesday’s meeting that was held between President Muhammadu Buhari and APC Governors, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi state announced the party’s decision to zone offices formerly occupied by Northerners to the South and vice-versa.
He also conveyed Buhari’s stance on having a consensus candidate.
“President Buhari is a believer in consensus as one of the options of producing leaders and he urged us to explore consensus while recognising that many people who have indicated interest are equally competent but only one person will occupy the office at the end of the day.
“Consensus is part of our constitution and he urged us to work towards consensus,” the Kebbi governor said.
“We have produced a number of national chairmen by consensus; Bisi Akande emerged as the pioneer chairman of the APC through consensus, John Oyegun emerged by consensus, Adams Oshiomhole emerged by consensus, so the president reminded us of that.”
Streamlining the array of contestants from North Central, where analysts believe the preferred choice will come from, we have; Senator Mohammed Sani Musa from Niger state, Senator Umar Tanko Al-Makura from Nasarawa, Kwara-born Saliu Mustapha , ex-Governor Benue Governor George Akume, Mohammed Etsu in Niger and Senator Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa.
Of this list, only Al-makura, Akume and Adamu are former Governors.
Adamu versus Al-Makura
Barring any last-minute settlement, the rift between Adamu and Al-Makura may cost both of them their ambition. Although supporters and bigwigs of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) are rooting for Al-Makura, political commentators say an already polarised APC would rather opt for a candidate that has an overwhelming support in his state than one dangling between divided walls.
While Al-Makura’s alleged closeness to former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, may count, the political might of Adamu poses a game-changer.
POLITICS NIGERIA gathered that governors in the APC, who are determined to maintain a grip on the party, have thrown their weight behind Adamu.
Nevertheless, Former Minister of State for Information and Communication, Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, has said Adamu owes Al-Makura his support.
“I’m aware that a certain aspirant from the same state with Al-Makura is being prepared to work against the interest of the party by acting as a spoiler to the ambition of Al-Makura by pretending to be interested in the position. The most unfortunate thing is that this is someone whom Al-Makura as governor, helped in the past to win the senatorial elections of his district in 2015 as he was facing imminent defeat from a younger candidate. This person should be grateful to Al-Makura for protecting his interest rather than trying to bite the fingers that fed him.
“What is more, this aspirant, who is a former governor of Nasarawa State, does not even have the endorsement of his state governor yet he goes about telling people that he is being sponsored by governors. He is only being used as a spoiler to deny Al-Makura the chairmanship, but he won’t succeed,” the former minister said.
But some aggrieved youth APC leaders have mulled support for Adamu and also sent a strong warning to the incumbent Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.
Led by Adamu Maraba, the APC youths said Sule should forget his reelection bid if he backs Al-Makura against Adamu’s candidature.
However, speaking to POLITICS NIGERIA, Mohammed Atose, a senior legislative aide to Al-Makura posited that Adamu’s ambition is not a threat to his principal’s.
“It is not a threat. If you are following the trend of politics in Nigeria and particularly in Nasarawa State, of recent, you know all the stakeholders in Nasarawa state including the Governor and all party stakeholders across the three Senatorial zones, came together and endorsed my principal.
As far as I am concerned, based on permutations on ground and what we have been doing in consultation, there’s no threat from any angle.”
