The harmattan haze hung over Kano as the 2023 general elections approached, casting a pale veil across the ancient city’s minarets and crowded streets. Political tensions were rising, public anxiety was growing, and security agencies faced the difficult task of maintaining peace in one of Nigeria’s largest and most politically active states. Beyond the electoral atmosphere, Kano was also confronting persistent street crime. Phone snatching, armed robbery and clashes involving groups of restless youths—popularly known as Yan Daba—had created fear in several communities. It was into this complex environment that Mohammed Usaini Gumel assumed office as Commissioner of Police, Kano…
Author: TheStories
Electoral metrics and their limits Politics, including Niger Zone B, is often measured by electoral victories. However, history has repeatedly shown that elections are rarely won by numbers alone. They are won through unity, organization, strategic planning, and a shared sense of purpose. In Niger Zone B, stable parties succeed through unity. Parties that manage internal differences effectively gain public confidence more than split groups do. Moreover, in Niger Zone B, this reality lies at the heart of the recent meeting convened by Niger State’s Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba. APC stakeholders, elected and appointed officials, political aspirants, and party…
In every democratic society, political competition is inevitable. Aspirants will contest, supporters will express differing opinions, and party primaries will naturally produce both winners and disappointed contestants. What ultimately defines the strength of a political party, however, is not the absence of disagreements but its willingness and ability to reconcile differences in pursuit of a common goal. This principle was evident in the recent reconciliatory meeting convened by the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba, with aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), party leaders, stakeholders, and aspirants from Shiroro Local Government Area. According to an official statement issued…
There is a moment in leadership that no title, no wealth, and no influence can prevent. It is the moment when power begins to fade. In 1 Kings 1:1–4, King David, once a towering figure of authority and conquest, is reduced to a frail man who cannot keep himself warm. His attendants bring a young woman, Abishag, to lie beside him, not to restore strength, but simply to manage decline. It is a quiet, almost undignified end to a life of immense power. The Abishag Strategy, then, is not about recovery, it is about concealment. It is the deliberate or…
As conversations ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to gather momentum across Shiroro Constituency, public attention is gradually shifting from campaign promises to questions about previous service. Increasingly, many voters are asking a simple but important question: What has an aspirant done before seeking elective office? Among the names attracting public attention is Hon. Babangida Wassa Kudodo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the Niger State House of Assembly representing Shiroro Constituency. While political opinions about his aspiration naturally differ—as is expected in every democracy—many of his supporters point to years of community engagement, youth development, and humanitarian…
History is often kinder to the dead than to the living. It sands away rough edges, softens harsh judgments and, over time, transforms flawed leaders into national icons. Yet there are rare public figures whose lives stubbornly resist simplification. They remain objects of admiration and controversy in equal measure long after they have left office. Nigeria’s former President, General Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, belongs unmistakably to that exclusive class. For more than six decades, Obasanjo has stood at the crossroads of Nigeria’s political evolution. Soldier. Civil War commander. Military Head of State. Prisoner. Democratically elected President. International statesman. Farmer. Author. Relentless…
Over the years, Phillips Consulting has established itself as a consistent and credible voice in the assessment of subnational performance through its PSPI reports. The firm deserves recognition for sustaining this effort, refining its methodology, and contributing to an important policy conversation on governance, fiscal responsibility, and development outcomes across states. In a context where comparable, data-driven assessments are limited, the PSPI has provided a valuable platform for benchmarking and peer learning, encouraging states to reflect on their performance and aspire toward improvement. As states reflect on their rankings and the accompanying public recognition, it is important to remember that…
One of the greatest disservices we can do to history is to allow it to become the exclusive property of those who once wielded power. History belongs not to presidents alone, but also to governors, legislators, judges, traditional rulers, party leaders, journalists and ordinary citizens who witnessed the events of their time. When competing narratives emerge, our duty is neither to applaud nor condemn. It is to interrogate. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent attempt to revisit the political events surrounding the 2003 elections deserves precisely that kind of interrogation. Not because he was not a central actor—he undoubtedly was—but because…
The Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State and former governor, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, has commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for prioritising infrastructure development and people-oriented projects across the state. Wamakko spoke on Wednesday while flagging off the construction of the 35.7-kilometre Gidan Madi–Binji–Gande Road Project, valued at over N11.836 billion, as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Ahmed Aliyu administration. The road project is expected to strengthen rural connectivity, ease the movement of agricultural produce from farming communities to markets, stimulate local economic activities and improve access to social and economic opportunities across…
Governors Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State and Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State have praised the leadership qualities of former Sokoto State Governor and APC chieftain, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, describing him as a respected elder and a true leader whose influence extends beyond the state. The governors spoke on Thursday in Sokoto at the graduation of 1,550 operatives of the Sokoto State Marshals Agency (SOSMA), an initiative aimed at strengthening the state’s security architecture and complementing the efforts of conventional security agencies. Oyebanji, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the ceremony, also commended Governor Aliyu for what he…