One Year in Office: Nine governors yet to fight their godfathers

Twenty governors will be celebrating their first year in office in less than ten days.

A few of them became governors thanks to the support of their forerunners, who opened the door for them and a number of other eager politicians.

Fights between godfathers and godsons are common in Nigeria.

Rabiu Kwankwaso vs Umar Ganduje, Peter Obi vs Willie Obiano, Udom Emmanuel vs Godswill Akpabio, Adams Oshiomhole and Godwin Obaseki, Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola, and other notable recent conflicts are among the most well-known.

However, President Bola Tinubu is arguably the godfather of this return to democracy that has been most successful. He has installed three governors in Lagos State between 2007 and the present, yet he still maintains power over the political system.

In the present day, the conflict between Rivers State Governor Similayi Fubara and his predecessor, former Governor Nyesom Wike, has dominated media coverage.

A rivalry between former governor Nasir El-rufai and current governor Uba Sani is still going on in Kaduna. Additionally, Governor Alia and former Governor George Akume are engaged in a power struggle in Benue State over control of the party’s structure.

In several states, though, there has yet to be any communication at all between the outgoing leaders and their replacements. There may be fights, but they don’t make it onto the pages of the newspaper.

Enugu State

Former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a prominent member of the G5, supported Peter Mbah prior to the primaries in 2022, and the PDP was able to hold onto the state despite the Labour Party’s efforts during the election.

However, Ugwuanyi was not successful in getting into the Senate. Against Okechukwu Ezea of the Labour Party, he was soundly defeated.

While Mbah is in control of the administration and the PDP in Enugu State, the former governor is concentrating on the G5 war for leadership of the party at the federal level. Since leaving office, the former governor has said nothing about state government, suggesting that they are getting along well.

Kebbi State

In the primary elections, Nasir Idris defeated Yahaya Abdullahi, the previous Senate Majority Leader.

Prominent figures such as former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami refrained from contesting for the party ticket due to Bagudu’s backing of the former President of the Teachers’ Union.

After a year in office, Bagudu, a prominent minister in the Bola Tinubu administration, and his successor haven’t initiated any conflicts regarding control of the structure of the party in the state.

Kano State

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano State, seems to have finally gotten the hang of being a godfather after enduring eight years of political humiliation at the hands of his former lieutenant.

He grudgingly backed Umar Ganduje, his former deputy, in his 2015 governorship campaign. He almost lost his political terrain as a result of that choice.

Kwankwaso supported his son-in-law, Abba Yusuf, in 2019 in an attempt to keep it in the family, but he lost under dubious circumstances.

When the same ticket was used again in 2023, it was successful. Thus far, Kwankwaso and his son-in-law are concentrating their efforts on the same enemy, Ganduje.

Jigawa State

Another example of a calm relationship is between Umar Namadi, the new governor of Jigawa State, and Abubakar Badaru, the minister of defence.

Badaru chose his deputy to succeed him, just like the majority of governors.

Recall that Namadi did not begin the Badaru administration in 2015; instead, he entered in 2019 upon Ibrahim Hadejia’s dismissal.

Thus, it seems that 2019’s succession plan was well thought out.

Delta State

For the first time ever, a James Ibori-endorsed candidate lost the Delta State gubernatorial race in 2023.

In addition to endorsing Emmanuel Uduaghan as his successor, the outgoing governor reportedly cleared the path for Ifeanyi Okowa.

“Before the 2015 elections, I received a call from our leader (Ibori), and I asked him the direction. He (Ibori) told me Okowa should be supported.

“I was then the Deputy National Chairman. I gathered all my people; I said I have received an order from our leader. Your Excellency, I am grateful that your decision was right. That is how we supported Dr Okowa because the leader spoke to us,” Uche Secondus, a former PDP National Chairman revealed in 2018.

But Okowa stopped the trend when his candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, defeated David Edevbie of Ibori.

Okowa claimed that he would not support Edevbie when he challenged him for the seat in 2015.

“David Edevbie is my friend. We were with the former governor in his tenure together as commissioners, but in 2014, when it became obvious that it was the turn of the Delta North — Delta Central and Delta South had had their turns — I heard that David was going to run and he was indicating interest.

“I went from Abuja with three of my friends to visit him in Lagos — and I said ‘David, please, it’s only fair, I know that there are so many people competing but I’m coming to you as a friend. It will not be fair if you run. Governor James Ibori has been there, Governor Uduaghan has been there, it’s obviously the turn of the Delta North; why don’t you allow us to have our space so that we can all be said to be part of the state? Thereafter, we can all work for you to become governor’.

“And then suddenly, the next thing we heard was that they had endorsed David but this same David had committed himself to me,” Okowa told journalists in 2023.

But since the election, Delta State has remained silent, with both the incumbent and his predecessor maintaining their composure.

Sokoto State

Since 1999, when he succeeded Attahiru Baffarawa as deputy governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko has been a part of all leadership contests in the state.

He was temporarily banished from politics for supporting Aminu Tambuwal in 2015 and the ensuing backlash, but he returned last year by endorsing Ahmad Aliyu.

The fact that the two have not spoken up yet may indicate that the political arrangement is acceptable to all parties.

Akwa-Ibom State

The most recent governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, defeated his then-godfather, Godswill Akpabio, after a fierce battle.

Not only did Governor Udom prevail in the fight, but he also controlled the party hierarchy as a whole. He supported Umo Eno in 2022 to succeed him.

The former governor reversed course and declared that Eno was God’s chosen candidate, even though he had pledged not to support anyone before.

“The governor announced that he (Eno) was the one God has revealed to him as the next governor of the state and he was unveiled to all the stakeholders from the three senatorial districts of the state by the former governor, Obong Victor Attah, who then commended the choice,” Ekerete Udo, the then press secretary to the Governor said in 2022.

Aside from his attendance at the most recent PDP NEC meeting, Mr Udom has remained silent and declined to attend the Senate along with many of his peers.

There hasn’t been any overt conflict between them over governmental authority.

Ebonyi State

To become the governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, a previous governor of the state, had to overcome significant obstacles.

He went from party chairman to deputy governor before becoming governor on his initiative without the backing of then-governor Martin Elechi.

Known for his strong views, Umahi was the only one to nominate Francis Nwifuru as the APC’s nominee and guarantee his election as governor.

As of right now, the governor is preoccupied with matters at home, while Umahi, the Minister of Works, is concentrating on his duties as a federal minister.

Cross River State

Since the previous election, there has been a friendly working relationship between Governor Bassey Otu and his predecessor, Ben Ayade.

Ayade had supported Otu for governor, but John Enoh had contested the endorsement. President Bola Tinubu had to step in to break up the fighting because it was that intense.

But ever since he was not named a minister like other senators and lost the race for the Senate, Ayade has become politically irrelevant.

The outgoing governor has given his successor control over the political system.

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