By Our Correspondent
The Nigerian political trajectory cannot be sufficiently explained without the mention of the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu.
Having served as the the first executive governor of Nasarawa State and later in the Red Chamber (Senate) as a Senator of the republic until April 2022 when he resigned after being appointed chairman of his party, Adamu enjoys enormous respect in the political circle. Liking him to late Tony Anenih (Mr Fix it) won’t be an exaggeration. He loomed large in the politics of Nasarawa State and beyond. His endorsement is all an aspirant or candidate needs. It can be safely deduced that Adamu is ‘Mr Fix it’s in his own right. His admerers calls him “The Bridge Builder” because of his ability to…
Unarguably, only few politicians like the late strongman of Kwara politics, Oloye Olusola Saraki, president-elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, late Solomon Dushep Lar etc. enjoyed such unparalleled records.
His foray into politics dates back to 1977, when he was elected into the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the constitution for Nigeria’s short-lived Second Republic of 1979 to 1983. Senator Adamu was also a pioneer member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the first Secretary-General of the NPN in Plateau State from December 1978, and chairman of the NPN in the Plateau from 1982.
From antecedents and track records, Senator Adamu is a politician of tall standing, enviable feats and colour. However, in recent times, his attempt to flaunt his political pedigree and foothold of Nasarawa politics backfired. This, analysts say, caused the Nasarawa chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) a shipwreck. Not only was Adamu defeated in his senatorial and federal constituency, he lost the entire state to opposition party.
How could such a political colossus be so reduced to the extent of losing his immediate constituency? Summit Post investigation revealed that Adamu’s high-handedness and tendency to brew and dispense alone caused the party the huge loss. It was discovered that the deployment technology, especially BVAs helped to check the excesses of politicians.
A frontline political player, who spoke with SUMMIT Post on condition of anonymity, said: “I think what sank APC was the impunity with which the National Chairman, Adamu, plays his one-man game.
“He manipulated the delegate list of Nasarawa State to scheme some heavyweights and bring in his loyalists and preferred candidates…
“He brought in APC candidates for Nasarawa North and West, but could not manipulate Nasarawa South because Almakura was championing Nasarawa South.
“Then those heavyweights like Senator Ahmed Wadada, Hon Jonathan Gaza and Senator Godiya Akwashiki and some State House of Assembly aspirants, who were schemed out by Adamu and others left APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), formed alliance to defeat APC,” a source said.
The source further explained that though Governor Abdullahi Audu Sule was not happy with most of the political decisions of the godfather, he couldn’t have raised issues him.
“The governor is a novice. Though he was not happy with the impunity exercised by the National Chairman of APC, he could not challenge his impunity during and after the primary elections.
“The has governor has lost touch with the grassroots, after all, it was Almakura that facilitated his victory to government house. “It won’t be easy for him this time, because APC has lost Nasarawa State completely….and APC National Chairman has done so much damage to the APC structure and its political settings in the state”.
On why Hon Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, who just got reelected of the platform of SDP triumphed, the respondent said: “Hon Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi was in PDP, but the Governor Sule pleaded with him to decamp to the APC so that they could work together.
“He obliged the Governor, but when Abdullahi Adamu became APC Chairman, things changed….instead of allowing Gaza to contest under APC, Adamu has his own preferred candidate and, as usual, he changed the delegate list for the primary election. Same thing he did to Ahmed Wadada and Gaza. They both left and joined the SDP and were working in synergy.
“Gaza and Wadada have done so much for their people. They loved them as grassroots men. People in their constituency loved them, because they had done so much for them. His pedigree and achievements worked for his victory regardless of the political party.
On the intrigues and horse-trading that led to the immediate past governor of the State, Senator Umar Tank Al-Makura, losing his reelection bid, a source explained:
“I think the people lost love for APC and Almakura, because Almakura’s nephew was given the APC ticket to contest for the Federal House of Rep for Nasarawa South Constituency.
“People felt insulted that why sould people from.same.family contest for Hiuse of Rep and Senate respectively. I think, the impunity led to the defeat, plus, Almakura was said said to have rigged his election into the senate in 2019.
“Also, the National Chairman of APC was nursing grudges against Almakura, because he was against Almakura’s candidacy for the position of APC Chairman. He was also not happy that Almakura did not support him as the choice of Buhari for APC chairmanship position.”
This development, according Summit Post investigation is giving Engr Sule sleepless night in a build-up to this weekend governorship poll. Analysts fear that with the State federal parliamentary seats entirely in opposition grip, danger may be looming for the governor.
However, a section believe that Governor Sule enjoys cordial political relationship with most of those who decamped to other parties. Irrespective of what happened that led to their parting ways, they still consider the governor as humble, approachable and easy to work with.