ADC and the collision of wants and interests!

By Lawan A. Kazaure, MNIM, ANIP

There has been a popular adage that politics has no permanent enemy but perhaps, only permanent interest! Meaning in the pursuit of power, a friend could become an enemy while an enemy suddenly turns to be your trusted confidant. This machiavellian definition, as popularly known, has become a household name amongst the Nigerian political class. Consequently, this adage, as keenly seen, has further limited the integrity of political class to the lowest ebb, having exposed them as a group of self serving people lacking in ethics and morality!

The recent happenings in the Jigawa State Chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) where intricacies and selfish interests are currently playing out momentarily have confused my memory line of past antecedents. It was the same actors who slugged it out on a battlefield which precisely begins on 1st of June, 2022 at Minjibir Park, a resort solely owned by Sen. Sabo Muhammed Nakudu.

To my memory, the gathering as freshly recalled had in attendance, His Excellency, Ahmed Mahmud Gumel former Jigawa State Deputy Governor, Hon. Bashir Adamu, Matawallen Kazaure popularly known as Jumbo, a four-term member of the National Assembly and the Chief Host, Sen. Sabo Nakudu amongst many of us. Historically, the meeting was ably organised in order to explore the possibilities of a collaboration under the defunct NNPP ably controlled by Malam Aminu Ringim, with a view to confronting the incumbent Jigawa State APC government and wrestle power.

Unfortunately, power tussle, arrogance, envy and personal greediness truncated the plan. It is sad to note that, a night prior to the meeting, flying kites and fake rumours were let loose across all nooks and crannies of Jigawa State that Malam Aminu Ringim is stepping down for Sen. Sabo Nakudu to contest for the Jigawa State Gubernatorial Seat under the pretext that Malam Aminu Ringim has no financial capability to sponsor political campaign activities capable of winning Gubernatorial election.

That rumour has struck an impact, demoralizing and polarising the Aminu Ringim Political Structure he laboured to nurture for decades before Sen. Sabo Nakudu even ventured into partisan politics!

The rumour mill inflicted deep injury to the party and the personage of Aminu Ringim at that time. It enticed many amongst his followers to the extent that it weakened the small minds and also played a significant role deep in wooing some of the inner core members of the Aminu Ringim’s structure. At the high point of the problem, I personally drove to Chamo and had discussions with my friend Shehu Umar with a view to persuading him not to abandon us, but to no avail!

The padding of the information was so high, as according to the false narratives, each State Assembly candidate will have subvention of N2,000,000 every month running to the period covering three months to the election. This is apart from the election incentives backed by a substantial amount of money! Senatorial and House of Representatives Candidates each will receive as their monthly running costs to the tune of N5,000,000 and N3,000,000 respectively covering three months to the election.

Similarly, Local Government & Ward Party Chairmen each will be allotted a substantial amount for the day to day running affairs of the party covering the three months to the election period!

We were inadvertently beaten hands down to the point that our leader threatened to sacrifice us by planning to abandon the cause, including all that Aminu Ringim has laboured to build over a decade! The antagonists were all out to hijack the party but when their mission became practically impossible to accomplish, they split the structure and undermined the Party’s momentum to the extent, the Party was grinding to a halt as the 2023 general election was fast approaching! They further moved along with a substantial number of Malam followers back to APC and later abandoned them, including those who backed the mission at the initial stage of the historic 1st June, 2022 meeting held at the Minjibir Resort!

Vividly, as I may recall, I and Alhaji Musa Abubakar, the Magatakarda of Kazaure were intimated with the information being peddled around by the Party Chairman Gwiwa Local Government, Alhaji Lawan Abdulrazak at our Hotel in Abuja before proceeding to the Venue of our Party’s 2023 National Convention. He told us we were singled out for all sorts of abuses in unprintable terms by Jigawa contingents for the role we allegedly played in convincing Malam Aminu not to surrender his Gubernatorial ticket to Sen. Sabo Nakudu, a castle in the air project they perceived workable with sufficient War Chest of which they said our leader, Malam Aminu Ringim lacks the wire-withal to bankroll his campaign.

Instantaneously, meetings upon meetings were called upon and chaired by the leader Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso both in Abuja and Kano, many thanks must go to Hon Ahmed Safiyo Maigatari for having the guts to let Sen. Kwankwaso accord regards to Malam Aminu Ringim, who was not even his political mate going by the history of Nigerian politics dating back to 1979-1983 Second Republic era and as such, it is practically impossible to surrender the ticket to any person! It was reported that, at one of such meetings, Sen. Sabo became so furious and descended so low to the extent of announcing financial contributions he gave at different instances to the NNPP leader of Jigawa State since according to Sen Sabo the promise made to him has been reneged, whereas as a matter fact he has failed to realize his biggest mistake for putting the Cat before the Horse by failing to officially register as a member of the NNPP! As earlier revealed the foregoing unfolding events did not go down well with the leader Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Every right thinking person within the Jigawa political cycle including His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Mahmud Gumel and Hon. Bashir Adamu Kazaure were sympathetic to Malam Aminu Ringim’s predicament talkless of the ordinary Members of the State Chapter of the defunct New Nigeria’s People Party (NNPP), having viewed the action as a day light robbery hence the reason, they backed out from the ill-fated opportunist and an unjust mission.

In fact, it was a dare devil crude strategy bereft of all civilized sensibilities and indecent behavior for anybody to act in a manner so displayed at that material time! Apart from his legendary pompousity, Sen. Sabo has no political structure beyond his Local Government Area. He is a snake with no ability or tactics to dig a hiding hole! He is popularly known more by his adage that “he only buys Ram for sacrifice on a Sallah Day” meaning he has no time to invest in building personal relationships and political networks, talkless of maintaining a political structure that would stand the test of time!

As history sometimes became repetitive, the Jigawa State Chapter of African Democratic Congress (ADC) was deeply caught up into the same scenario similar to what happened to Malam Aminu Ringim’s New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). This conspiracy as theoretically played, was so alarming for lack of morality, ethics and decency. It further exposes their shire ignorance of the teachings of the Hadith of the Prophet PBUH all in an effort to gain worldly advantage. One wonders how so early that all those who partake in those intricacies could forget so soon the trauma we were all thrown into as a result of false propaganda being paddled to dislodge us from the Party we earlier fused into and put serious efforts to strengthen! We were terrorised and traumatised both at the top and bottom thereby throwing our followers into a state of confusion and anxiety!

Cleverly as they became, they are deploying the same old script to appease members calling for ‘unity’, ‘trust’ and ‘understanding’ just in the same way the Minjibir Park meeting Speakers outlined at 1st of June, 2022 gathering.
It is the same ploy/drama being exhibited towards 2027. The reverse has now become the case! This time around, it is a collaboration between Sen. Nakudu and Malam Aminu Ringim as alleged. Working together against Matawalle is an action similar to what Matawalle condemned in 2023 when Sen. Sabo sought their collaboration to dislodge Aminu Ringim from the NNPP.

Lest it is forgotten, Matawalle was a former Social Democratic Party (SDP) Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2019 general election, with a solid structure across Jigawa State. This coupled with the two structures he concurrently maintained. He led a faction from the Jigawa State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and that of, African Democratic Congress (ADC legacy) he inherited from the inception of the Coalition in September, 2025 to date plus the stupendous resources he invested in strengthening ADC to becoming the strongest Opposition Party to beat in Jigawa State! Coupled with his big heart, his amenability to the high and low, his strength of character and his proven competence summing up to his intimidating credentials at his disposal, he is combatant ready to play the game pattern and tactics Aminu Ringim played in 2023 in holding the grip of his Party.

On the side of our sacred religion ISLAM, it was reported that, the 13th Hadith in Imam Al-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith collection as, narrated by Anas Ibn Malik, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH that “ None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” The contradiction is that, we have the experience, we are a party to the past antecedents and then now, how on earth could one selfishly compromise his faith, his integrity and morality to aid what you were at one time a victim of similar political machinations? Only a vision-less and clueless political leader could behave that callously!

As we patiently await the wants and the collision of interests in this manner and while nobody can discountenance the influence of money in determining political choices, but money is not an end by itself! Unlike Malam Aminu Ringim’s predicament in 2023, Matawalle has the War chest to fund his 2027 Gubernatorial Campaign!.

When coalitions of political parties gathered momentarily in Abuja to determine the Nation’s future come 2027, I and Magatakarda were invited to attend the meeting at Sheraton Hotel, we promptly advised Malam Aminu Ringim to attend since he too was invited. We candidly pointed out to him that the future of the NNPP is gloomy. We pleaded with him to see reasons and lead the Coalition Movement in Jigawa State. Embrassingly, he gave us two shabby excuses why he will not join the Coalition Movement. One was related to the embarrassment we collectively faced during Chief Raymond Dokpesy Sensitisation Committee’s Visit to Jigawa in 2022, preparatory H.E Atiku Abubakar Presidential Contest. Secondly that, he could never ditch Kwankwaso as he accommodated him when Atiku Abubakar refused to support his cause at the time of his political embrioglo with PDP as such, will never join party with Atiku Abubakar and this was, notwithstanding with the fact that, the Coalition was still courting Sule Lamido and there was no guarantee that, Sule will not be part of the coalition.

As the conspiracy game plan unfolds, we need to pose a pertinent question: Is it now that, Aminu Ringim faction realised their mistake(s) for not accepting Sen. Nakudu’s offer in 2023 hence the reason why they became blindfolded and desperate in the present circumstances? There was a strong uncertainty whether rightly or wrongly as only time will tell.

However, speculations were rife that Aminu Ringim faction is planning to collaborate with Sen. Nakudu to the extent of proposing a Deputy Governor slot under Nakudu Sabo/Malam ticket! If this turns-out to be true, it would be disgusting but not surprising, if viewed against Matawalle’s long term sound relationship with Aminu Ringim coupled with the consistent fair comment by Malam Aminu to the personage of Matawalle one wonders how all this antecedents will be drained. How could Hon Abunabo and Sen. Abdul’aziz allow this blunder to happen? Could they tell me that they see more prosperous economic growth now, than what they collectively rejected in the intricacies of 2023?

Wonders never end! What people say behind your back is your standing in the community in which you live. Very fortunately and positively too, Matawalle has the goodwill and sympathy of the people of Jigawa State as such, he has no fear whatsoever. We have a collective resolve either way but, let it be categorically clear that, we fear no-one at the conduct of the Primary Election or Consensus. However, and as Democrats at heart, indeed we unequivocally called for the conduct of the Primary Election to choose the ADC’s flagbearer for the 2027 Gubernatorial Election of Jigawa State!
Naturally, people fear the unknown and they do build perceptions on that fear. Changing perception of fear to understanding could be a herculean task amongst two or more individuals of different persuasion. Matawalle does not build relationships overnight and could certainly have guaranteed future and prosperous harmony by the Will of Allah SWT and that is why, he is different from those crass opportunists who build relationships on needs only, and ditch you when accomplished!

Lawan A. Kazaure, Former Sole Administrator, Kazaure Local Government