by Sufyan Lawal Kabo
The morning weather was beautiful in Kabo, my hometown. I was inspecting my young growing plants on the farm when the news broke that Nasiru Sule Garo had been officially announced as NDC’s senatorial candidate for Kano North to contest against Senator Barau I. Jibrin. Unlike some news reports that I normally doubt, I believed this one because of the earlier candidate the party had presented, which I found rather funny. NDC has now affirmed Garo as its candidate.
While the earlier choice was funny, I consider presenting Nasiru Sule Garo sheer wickedness!
Before I justify this, let’s get back to the farm. There was this man, Malam Ado, close to me during the inspection. I turned to him and asked, “Malam Ado, ka san wani da ake kira Nasiru Sule Garo?” He hesitated as if recalling a name like that and said “E kamar na san sunan” (yeah, the name sounds familiar) adding that he only knew the last name, “Sule Garo”; he must be from that family, right? I said yes. When I told him that the same person was the man NDC had picked to contest against Barau, he burst into long laughter and said they must be daydreaming.
I told him NDC and Kwankwasiyya were not necessarily daydreaming. I saw it differently: I considered it sheer wickedness towards their own supporters. He asked how that could be wickedness, and I explained it to him. I will now explain it to whoever is reading this.
Since the emergence of Malam Aminu Kano in the 1950s, the people of Kano have been known to be politically conscious, experienced and highly exposed. Many political abnormalities seen in other states, such as imposition of candidates, excessive family dominance of state politics and autocratic behaviour by political leaders, have historically faced strong resistance in Kano.
Even traditional rulers have not been spared when they were perceived to have crossed political boundaries. The confrontation between Governor Abubakar Rimi and Emir Ado Bayero in 1981, which included a “warning” to the Emir and restrictions on traditional homage, became a major political crisis and was followed by violent disturbances. Decades later, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II was dethroned by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on 9 March 2020.
Kano politics is pure calculation. The political exposure of Kano people is what makes them unique. They do not necessarily vote for candidates simply because they are endorsed by a particular person, influential family, religious organisation or political movement. They consider trust, competence, past performance, achievements and what they believe a candidate can offer.
Since Barau I. Jibrin became Senator representing Kano North in 2015, he has established himself as a formidable political figure with extensive legislative and constituency interventions. His political strength was again demonstrated in the 2023 election, when he defeated NNPP’s Dr. Baffa Bichi with wide margin.
This is why Kano North has remained a difficult territory for the opposition, including Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya movement. If a prominent politician like Baffa Bichi could not defeat Barau, presenting a candidate with comparatively little visibility across Kano North raises serious questions about the political calculation behind the decision.
From the foregoing, it is clear to me that both Kwankwasiyya and NDC understand the difficulty of defeating Barau at the moment. Therefore, presenting Nasiru Sule Garo, a man whose name is not even widely known across the Kano North senatorial district, does not appear realistic. Even without APC’s dominance, without Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s influence, and without the overwhelming influence of Deputy Governor Murtala Sule Garo in Garo town, I find it difficult to see how Nasiru Sule Garo can deliver even his own ward’s ballot boxes for NDC.
This is why I consider the decision a sheer wickedness, particularly towards their own supporters:
1. NDC knows fully well that its supporters may lose valuable energy, time and resources campaigning and voting for a candidate who has little realistic chance of winning.
2. They have created false hope in the minds of their supporters from now until election day, only for many of them to watch their candidate suffer a heavy defeat.
3. It may unnecessarily expose some overzealous or violent youths to confrontation and possible political violence in an APC-dominated Kano North.
4. A woeful defeat could further damage the image of NDC, Kwankwasiyya and even Nasiru Sule Garo himself.
5. It could demoralise ordinary supporters who may begin to question the strategic judgement of their political leaders.
6. It could lead to the waste of huge financial and human resources that could have been deployed to more competitive constituencies.
7. Most importantly, it could turn what should be a healthy democratic contest into a predictable political exercise, thereby denying NDC the opportunity to present a stronger candidate when a genuinely competitive opportunity arises.
My advice to NDC is simple. Politics is not compulsory on every battlefield. If the party knows that neither Nasiru Sule Garo nor any other candidate it can presently present has a realistic chance of defeating Senator Barau I. Jibrin in Kano North, it should reconsider the contest and save its resources, time and the energy of its supporters.
Under the Nigerian Electoral Act, a candidate has a legal avenue to withdraw from an election subject to the prescribed procedure and statutory deadline. But beyond the law, there is also political wisdom in knowing when a contest is worth entering.
NDC should therefore rethink Kano North. If it cannot present a truly competitive candidate, it should save its resources, protect its supporters from unnecessary political risks and, if it so chooses, support Senator Barau I. Jibrin rather than enter a contest that may end in an avoidable political embarrassment.
In politics, knowing when to fight is strategy. Knowing when not to waste your strength is also wisdom.
Sufyan is Senior Legislative Aide to DSP Barau I. Jibrin. Writes from Kano