ANALYSIS On the Emergence of the Niger State PDP Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Mohammed Mamman Nami, against the backdrop of the Failed Promises of the APC Government under the Leadership of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.

By - YM Bina October 22, 20266 Mins Read

ANALYSIS

On the Emergence of the Niger State PDP Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Mohammed Mamman Nami, against the backdrop of the Failed Promises of the APC Government under the Leadership of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.

By Yakubu Mustapha Bina

The current political atmosphere in Niger State has suddenly become open and unpredictable. The race for 2027, which many thought would be a smooth ride for the incumbent Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, is now contestable. This is because of the unexpected emergence of one man: Dr Mohammad Mamman Nami, under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

From quiet consultations to strategic political moves, Nami, the immediate past Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has become the leading challenger to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

THE BAGO PHENOMENON OF 2023:

Recall how Governor Bago came to power with so much pomp and enthusiasm. His success in 2023 was not ordinary; it marked the dawn of hope and progress. It was a popular revolt against the slow pace of progress under previous administrations in the state.

Governor Bago positioned himself as the antithesis to the entrenched old political order. When that old order, in a desperate bid to retain control, ganged up to support Alhaji Idris Malagi against him during the APC primary, Bago won public sympathy. He became the face of change for the youth and many others who had been yearning for a new political order and a new generation of leaders. He was, therefore, loved across the three senatorial zones.

That love translated into votes, and he was elected as the 6th Governor of Niger State in the 2023 elections. But, alas, he has since betrayed that love and hope.

Although early warning signs of this betrayal were there, Nigerlites were too far carried away by their support for him. Soon after winning the primary, Bago began showing signs of power intoxication that he nearly lost the general election to the PDP’s Alhaji Isa Liman Kantigi, who fought a spirited battle despite limited resources.

THE PROMISES THAT HAUNT:

Governor Bago came with a promise of a “New Niger.” It was a beautiful and ambitious blueprint: a Minna that would rival Abuja in beauty, a redeveloped Suleja, a massive green-economy revolution, tractors for every farmer, and a government that would listen to everyone.

That promise is now his albatross.

Twenty-four months later, Nigerlites are asking critical questions that are urgently demanding answers from the current APC-led administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago

Where is the New Minna beyond demolitions? Where is the Green Economy beyond MoU’s and photoshoots in foreign lands? Where is the inclusive governance when the press is harassed, and local government information managers are sidelined? Where is the transparency and accountability in governance? The New Niger and the Niger Foods explanations of their activities and impacts? Where is security when insecurity is the order of the day across communities? These are a few of the other promises that needed answers.

A promise is a debt even in politics. When you raise citizens’ expectations so high and delivery is so low, people become disillusioned. That disillusionment is Bago’s biggest enemy today, and it will continue to haunt him.

Ahead of the 2027 General Elections, Nigerlites are looking forward to promoting issue-based politics rather than politics driven solely by personalities, alliances, or insults.

WHAT MAKES NAMI A FORMIDABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR NIGERLITES:

Dr Nami is the direct opposite of Bago in style, mannerisms, and substance, hence the need to change the leadership for a prosperous Niger State. Nami’s emergence marks the beginning of fear for the ruling APC, thereby sparking a proliferation of political appointments in Niger State.

Muhammad Nami may not have Governor Bago’s populist drama. However, he has what Bago’s administration is accused of lacking: administrative depth, economic management experience, and a cool-headed approach to governance. As tax and audit czar, he had more than proven that a technocrat can deliver quality leadership. He is at home in Lagos, Abuja, London, and Washington, and at the same time, he is a son of the soil from the Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State.

For former APC chieftains seeking to retain Niger State without the baggage of unfulfilled promises, Nami appears to be a strategic alternative. He offers the party chieftains a chance to support a fresh, competent face without necessarily leaving the APC family.

As things stand now, Nigerlites will peacefully resist any plans by the ruling APC to disrupt the strongholds of opposition political parties and any attempts to rig in their strongholds to influence the outcome of the 2027 general elections.

Nigerlites, like every citizen of Nigeria, are suffering. They continue to demand answers about the cost of living: high cost of petrol, cooking gas, food, transportation. These issues deserve serious attention from every political party and any serious politician seeking political office.

IN CONCLUSION:

As we approach 2027, we urge Nigerlites to assess political parties and their candidates based on a proven track record of service, policies, and programmes, and on their willingness to be accountable, rather than mere empty slogans.

No doubt, the 2027 gubernatorial battle in Niger State will be full of drama and high-stakes manoeuvring. It will not be a fight between the APC and the PDP. It will be a fight between Governor Bago’s failed promises and egoism and Muhammad Nami’s promise of an alternative governance model, as he positions himself as the leading contender and the choice of Nigerlites to unseat the present government in the state.

History is, indeed, about to repeat itself in Niger State as the 2027 general elections gather momentum. Certainly, this election will come with surprises that will jolt the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in the state out of its complacency.

This is what the strategic emergence of the accomplished administrator, financial and tax expert, and very experienced leader, Muhammad Nami, will accomplish. Nami deserves the opportunity to get Niger State out of the current doldrums and nightmare, marked by a suffocating local government administration, a harsh economy, ongoing maladministration, unaccountable leadership, infrastructure decay, educational collapse, absence of potable water, and uncompleted projects scattered across the state.

It is time to make a positive change in the politics of Niger State by electing a trustworthy person who knows the economy, is very competent and hardworking, one who has sympathy for the commoner, cares about the real rural community transformation, one who has the people at heart, intelligent, and passionate about the actual development of the people and the state as a whole.

This person is Alhaji Muhammad Nami, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 governorship election in the state. He deserves the opportunity, support, and encouragement to triumph for the betterment of the future generations of Nigerlites.