Since the restoration of democracy in 1999, there is no time in the history of Nasarawa state when leaders the ruling party saw the need to be on the same page and continue to worked together for the peace, unity and development of the state, considering the collective interest of their people rather than personal egos like the current dispensation of All Progressives Congress, APC, administration in the state.
This bond of friendship and cordial working relationship demonstrated in the last four years between Goernor Abdullahi Sule and Jagaban Nasarawa Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (Sardaunan Kwandare) has not only set a precedence in Nigerian political history on successor-predecessor relationship but also restored the battered image of Nasarawa as a violent.
This is not only a radical departure from the past, especially 1999 – 2007, when ego and battle of wits between the then Governor Abdullahi Adamu and the late Senator Haruna Abubakar retarded development and polarised the people of the state, turning Nasarawa into a threatre of war and violence. Adamu and the late ex-Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma were also strange bedfellows.
This cat and mouse relationship between political leaders in the state particularly successors and predecessors are mostly caused by political jobbers who depend on crisis for survival at the detriment of peace and development of the state.
The harmonious relationship between political leaders have always been seen by political jobbers as a threat to their survival hence their current and desperate efforts to stoke crisis between Governor Sule and Al-Makura which started immediately Sule took over. They concocted a story that the governor accused Al-Makura of bequeathing a huge debt to his administration.
But he governor refuted the allegation and visited his successor to contradict the story and reaffirmed his commitment to work with him and all lovers of democracy and development to take Nasarawa state to greater heights. It seems these retrogressive elements are not relenting in their destructive mission of altering the unbreakable bond of friendship, and mutual respect between Sule and Al-Makura with the recent mischievous story of nonexistent rift between them.
The people of Nasarawa state recently woke up to another misleading story sponsored by some political jobbers that Al-Makura, the architect of modern Nasarawa state, has ordered the APC Sule campaign council to quit his property he gave the party and the governor as his campaign office in 2019 and 2023 elections. This is aimed at pitching Sule against his predecessor for selfish political interest.
The unfounded allegation and its intent are dead on arrival because the Al-Makura/Sule bond is indelible and beyond their shortsightnessthinking. Even if Sule and Al-Makura have any differences as human beings who are infallible they will resolve amicable. They more they tried to pitched the two leaders against each other they more frustrated and disappointed they become as they watch helplessly how these leaders wax stronger by the day for the good of the people of Nasarawa. These spoilers should understand that Sule and Al-Makura are of impeccable character who will not allow sycophants to come between them.
When did these jobbers know or have Sule’s interest in mind? Where were they when Al-Makura ignored most of his closed political associates some of whom were serving in his government and were part of his political journey from 2011 to date, including his deputy who wanted to succeed him and insisted on Sule which pitched him against Abdullahi Adamu? He did not only insist on Sule who was not part of his political circle but also deployed everything at his disposal to ensure his emergence as his successor.
Al-Makura is a progressive and a man of peace who abhors vindictiveness which accounts for in his successful political career; a trait also exhibited by his successor who continues to hold him in high esteem and accords him all his honour and respect; he also taps from his wisdom, experience and vision for the benefit of the state, knowing that no one has monopoly of wisdom.
Like or hate him, Al-Makura remains the best governor of Nasarawa state since its creation in terms of performance. He turned the state into a model of good governance and infrastructural development in Nigeria which Governor Sule is consolidating and building upon for the good of the state. History will be kind to the duo for putting the interest of the state on the front burner.
In an exclusive interview with Blueprint to mark his 70th birthday last year, Al-Makura, for the first time after leaving office as governor, opened up on why he opted for Sule as his successor to the detriment of his close associates who indicated interest to succeed him.
He said, “In today’s Nigeria whoever is a keen observer of how things happened in the past 10 to 20 years will notice that, all that glitters is not gold. When you are faced with a decision to take, take the decision based on conviction not on sentiment. Eleven people came to contest with A. A. Sule. These are very close friends of mine. There were even my cabinet members among them including my deputy governor.
“It took me many months to think whether I should toe the line of my governors colleagues who picked their commissioners, who took their SSGs or relatives to succeed them thinking that they would have a comfortable retirement. But for me two things happened. I wanted whoever that was coming to leave Nasarawa state better than he found it.
“For that reason I had to set up a criterion based on competence and capacity not minding whatever sentimental relationship I had with anybody. And sincerely of all the people that contested, if there was someone that I believed can handle the state better based on experience, education and pedigree I had no doubt that Sule was the best. I decided not to succumb to sentiment or primordial consideration. So I supported him, while at the same time giving all of them a level playing field to exercise their political rights”.
These, among many other actions demonstrated by Al-Makura and his consistent support to his successor to enable his administration to succeed underscore how the two leaders have prioritise the interest of the state and decided to unite for the development of Nasarawa state, which some jobbers are working hard to destroy and like other attempts this too shall fail.
What Nasarawa state needs today is peace and harmonious working relationship between the political elite to move the state forward not distractions and needless battle of wits that will drag the state backward.
Abari writes from Lafia, Nasarawa state.
