Th e popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari and that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is still unprecedentedly strong in the country. Recent political happenings in Kaduna State have further proved that apart from being Buhari’s second home, Kaduna has been one of the strongest domains of the APC. Some weeks back, the Special Adviser to Governor Nasir ElRufai on Political Aff airs and Intergovernmental Relations, Malam Uba Sani, took analysts off guard, with a massive rally to welcome the President back from medical vacation in London.
Th ere were two striking things about the rally. First, was the timing of the invitation the governor’s political adviser gave the participants, which was less than 48 hours. Notwithstanding the short notice, the people massively mobilized to the takeoff venue of the Buhari solidarity rally, the famous Murtala Square.
Th is development undoubtedly rattled the political rivals of El-Rufai, who engaged in false fl ag social media campaigns against Uba Sani. What some observers found striking, however, was the mammoth crowd that turned out for the rally, an indication that they were happy with ElRufai’s administration and a demonstration of their total loyalty to President Buhari.
Th e second striking thing about the rally is that, of all the solidarity rallies held so far across Nigeria in celebration of Buhari’s healthy recovery, none could match the one held in Kaduna State – in terms of attendance and the calm atmosphere, which some analysts described as the biggest political carnival in the North, in recent months. Th e next signifi cant happening in Kaduna that revealed the kind of political capital President Buhari has in the North-central zone was when he commissioned the $150 million agricultural investment by a company known as Olam. Signifi cantly, it was the fi rst offi cial outing of the President after his return from medical vacation and many were dazed that the president gladly honoured El-Rufai’s invitation.
Th e venue of the commissioning was fl ooded by youth from all the local governments in the state, chanting solidarity slogans. Surprisingly, other stakeholders from many states within the North-west thronged the venue of the commissioning ceremony, which was graced by other potential foreign investors, amongst others. It is now evident that Kaduna has become the best example of growing solidarity for Buhari in Northern Nigeria, ahead of 2019.
Th e two events in Kaduna did not just prove the acceptability of El-Rufai or the level of infl uence of his political team, but confi rmed the admiration and respect Nigerians have for their president. Th ese two Kaduna events have undoubtedly confounded El-Rufai’s rivals on one hand and Buhari’s critics amongst the opposition elements, leaving them in a state of confusion. And such is the impact of correct political calculation Of politics, governance and loyalty
