By Mua’zu Abari
After years of false loyalty,underground conspiracy,political backstabbing and fruitless efforts to undermined his benefactor who without him,he won’t have smell Shendam Road Government House lafia,Governor Abdullahi Sule has come back to his true colour and out of his hidden shield to draw battleline with his benefactor,Distinguished Senetor.Umaru Tanko Almakura,the Architect of modern Nasarawa state.
Sule decision to throw decency away and removed his pretending toga to declare an open war against a man who resisted all pressures on him to choose among his closed political issues, allies or appointees to succeed him which he turned down in favour of sule,seen as the least popular with zero political clouts and capacity to even win a councillorship seat on his own ,and known with a bad reputation for stinginess is one of the irony of Nigeria’ s politics.
His recent appearances in Arise and Channels televisions which he knows how to do best at any slightest opportunity, with empty noise making that defies logic and substance, unguarded and contradictory statements that always exposed him to public mockery did not come as a surprise to most people. What shocked many people including political observers was his derogatory remarks against Almakura who stood by him through thin and thick,and made him a Governor on a platter of gold.
He described Almakura as being suffering from depression and frustration and went further to say that, the former Governor is mixing privileged with right adding that, if a sitting Governor wanted to go and see the president must he carry a former Governor along with him? While,in the other interview with Channels television in one breath he said Almakura didn’t make him Governor and in another breath,he admitted thatAlmakura was his political mentor but he has no right to dictate to himwho to bring as his successor among many uncomplimentary remarks.
I found most of these reckless statements by the Governor especially in saying that Almakura is suffering from depression and frustration as highly disrespectful, senseless and highest form of ingratitude and how not to pay good with evil.sule must be reminded that his political history if any at all, is inconsequential and it will forever remain incomplete without the name of Almakura and his roles in his political life .
Take or leave it,Almakura political standing and influences not only in Nasarawa but in Nigerian politics especially within the APC cannot be diminished or washed away even by astute politicians not to talk of people who cannot bring themselves back to power despite incumbency factor at their disposal and they would have been history by now if not for God intervention through the supreme court which came to their rescue after running from pillar to post crying like a baby.
Suffice it to said that,without Almakura commitments, steadfast,sacrifices and political doggedness Nasarawa state would not have been an APC today and without Almakura broad political shoulder,influences and magnanimity sule not have been Nasarawa Governor by now,not to talk of having the temerity to insult Almakura. He would have been somewhere in Lagos selling sugar but today even his so- called loyalists are also attacking Almakura who brought most of them to political limelight.
Where was Sule when Almakura was being witchunted,arrested, detained and frustrated all in his bid to rescue the people of Nasarawa from PDP misruled ? Where was Sule when Almakura stood behind the people of Nasarawa state and choose to be impeached rather than take their mandate to PDP? Where was Sule when Almakura alongside other Progressives are moving helter skelter to form APC?What were Sule antecedents and contributions to the development of Nasarawa state prior to his emergenced as Governor in 2019?
To those who cares to know the current political happenings in Nasarawa APC especially the frosty relationship between sule and Almakura is not about wadada or IGP Mohammed Adamu Abubakar Guber ambitions.it is about erosion of confidence, betrayal of trust, political backstabbing and biting the finger that fed him which have been existing for long when he was made Governor.
His statement on mixing privileged with right is even more laughable and senseless that exposed him for what he is.the pertinent question to ask is that,between sule and Almakura who is more Tinubu than the other?it is worthy of note that,sule who is pretending to love Tinubu,more than even the parents of the president did not believed in Tinubu and worked against him at the APC presidential primaries
It will interest the public to know that, During APC presidential Sule worked for former Vice president yemi Osibanjo while Almakura supported president Bola Ahmed Tinubu who they worked closely together to formed APC when sule was no where to be found.and Almakura being a democrat and a respected leader he is,he chose to respect the Governor decision but still Sule wend behind tried to snatched Almakura controlled delegates and give it to Osibanjo.
It took Almakura maturity, patience and statesmanship for the issue to be resolved amicably..when sule came on board,Almakura decided not to interfered in his Government it was the Governor that makes Almakura home his regular point of call whenever the Senator came for weekend which this not go down well with political jobbers who are looking for space in his Government ,and subsequently succeeded to mislead the Governor and pitched him against his benefactor.
Since then, Sule never rested in his continued efforts to sabotaged Almakura and work against him clandestinely in the night and pretending to love him in the morning but unfortunately for him,Almakura is fully aware of all his moves against him which keep on blossoming by the day, and reached its climax when sule instigated the State House of Assembly against Almakura on decision taken by his administration in the overall interest of the state which was duly approved by the then Assembly and also worked against his returned to the senete.
Unfortunately for backstabbing Governor ,he almost lost his own re- election if not for divine intervention through supreme court which came to his rescued after running from pillar to post crying like a baby it was the same Almakura ,Adamu and other critical stakeholders of the party at both the state and the National level that rally round him to ensure that he retained his seat.
But the people of Nasarawa state are not surprised it is not talking too much and recklessly that makes one a leader.A leader is someone who guide his tongue and talk only when necessary .A leader is someone who stick to his words and you can take his words to the bank not always talking from both sides of his mouth as we have been seeing in Nasarawa state in the last 6 years of his steadwardship.
Is it not the same sule who at the beginning of his administration said to hell with second term and that he will go back to America and enjoy himself? Is it not the same sule that said he will not contest for senate at the end of his tenure and what is happening todayHe is Already in Abuja by proxy submitting his senatorial nomination form. Is it not the same sule that said after God is Almakura ?Is it not the same sule that said he will never betray Almakura?
But what is happening today? Has he lived to his words?so his penchant for double standard and talking from both side of his mouth is long known to the people of Nasarawa state, who never take him and his words serious, so whatever he will say against Almakura will not holds water in the minds of the people of Nasarawa state ,it would rather and further endeared Almakura tothe hearts of the people of the state.
The current crisis rocking Nasarawa APC which polarised the party into two antagonistic camps,is largely caused as a result of this betrayal of trust and failure of the Governor and the party to provide inclusive leadership,level playing field to all aspirants, unite its members, accommodate divergent views in favour of discrimination and segregation .it is not about wadada or Adamu Gubernatorial ambitions.