Yobe State: An Exemplary Product Of Political Development, Unity And Stability

By Mamman Mohammed

Yobe State, a heterogeneous political block in the North Eastern sub region, has strategically become Nigeria’s exemplary institution of political stability, unity and democracy, where politics is practiced without bitterness, a slogan preached and promoted by one of Nigeria’s foremost politicians, an illustrious son of Yobe state, and a second Republic presidential candidate of the defunct Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), the late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim.

Political gladiators in the state did not only believe in the concept of Politics without Bitterness, but practiced it to the latter. The political bigwigs  have in spite of their political leanings, abhorred political violence, banditry and thuggery. They have always argued, “We are one and the same people, tied by a common lineage and cultural heritage. So, who is fighting who? We shall eternally remain one for all, and all for one.”

These arguments have continued to deepen unity, tolerance, respect and accommodation of one another, and the differing political opinions, with a strong belief that there is a life outside politics.

The last seven years of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration has further entrenched unity, trust and tolerance among the people irrespective of  their ethno-religious differences and the political standings. Buni operates the widest open door policy in Nigeria, and accommodates everyone. He operates a government of inclusivity, and reaching out to people who couldn’t come, to make them feel at home, with a true sense of belonging and inclusivity.

Gov. Buni’s inclusion policy has reflected in the social and political lives of the people. Politicians no longer define their relationships along party lines and boundaries. His nickname-Limamin Sulhu- a policy of unity and accommodation has continued to attract politicians from other political parties into the APC. To the people of the state, his success at the national level makes it much easier to convert the entire Yobe state into an APC state.

The event of  Wednesday 29th April 2027, where the former Secretary to the State Government, Alh. Baba Malam Wali, was named as the preferred governorship aspirant of the ruling All Progressives Congress, making him a consensus candidate, did not come as a surprise to the people and followers of events in the state.

The concept of consensus candidature in Yobe state is not a new phenomenon. In August 2010, under the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), political stakeholders in the state adopted former Governor Ibrahim Gaidam as its consensus candidate to win the 2011 governorship election with a landslide victory.

Similarly, in April 2014, when Yobe state joined Nigeria’s ruling party, with Buni as the party’s National Secretary, consensus candidature became much easier and generally acceptable, providing an easy ride to adopt Ibrahim Gaidam as a consensus candidate to contest the governorship election. He won the 2015 governorship election with a landslide victory.

In 2018 under the APC, Hon Mai Mala Buni became the party’s preferred candidate. However, Alh. Sidi Karasuwa, Umar Ali and Aji Kolo challenged the decision and insisted on the conduct of a primary election. The party respected and protected their rights, and the primary election was conducted. The primary election was an opportunity for the party to showcase its strength in unity.

Mai Mala Buni, won the party primary with 2,797 votes with Karasuwa polling 23 votes, followed by Umar Ali with eight votes, and Aji Kolo with four votes. This did not deter Governor Buni from giving those willing the opportunity of joining his administration to service in the state government. It is democracy in action, being promoted, protected and deepened. And yet, politics without bitterness.

The emergence of Baba Malam Wali, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government on 29th April 2026 as the party’s consensus  candidate for the 2027 gubernatorial election, announced by the chairman of the state stakeholders’ forum, former governor of the state, former senator and current Minister of Police Affairs, Sen. Ibrahim Gaidam, in the company of other members of the forum, was a reflection of the view of the APC family in Yobe state..

While it is natural for the other aspirants to wish their names were announced as the consensus candidate, some of the aspirants in the spirit of political unity in the state, and the agreement to support whosoever that is named as the preferred candidate, quickly accepted the selection made by the stakeholders with a pledge to work for the victory of the party, and success of Baba Malam Wali in the 2026 general elections.

With all fairness, before the stakeholders started the assignment, Sen. Gaidam described the task as quite challenging “but this is a service to the state and its people” assuring to be just, fair and objective to all aspirants, the government and the people of the state, urging the people not to see the outcome of their assignment as an imposition of a flag bearer.

Sen. Gaidam advanced some reasons to justify Wali’s selection, citing his long years in service as a seasoned technocrat and one of the longest serving Secretary to a state government in Nigeria, Gaidam argued that Wali has the experience and deeper knowledge of the development agenda, vision and mission of the ongoing developments in the state. “Baba Malam Wali is more conversant and more involved in the ongoing developments in the state. His emergence as the governor, would facilitate speedy continuity to actualize our development plans, and to recover our lost opportunities and time.”

For Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka, the state APC chairman, it was a mission accomplished for the party. He said in spite of the seamless selection of a governorship aspirant for APC, “the party would adopt a high level consultations and dialogue mechanism for the party to approach the 2027 election with a united front.”

It is evidently clear that, the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni and the party hierarchy, the party stakeholders and supporters across the state are all working on the same page for the party’s success at all levels.

While urging other aspirants to take the decision in good faith, Governor Buni, assured that APC remains Nigeria’s surviving party that can win all the elections to improve the lives of the people.

“I wish to remind us especially here in the North, that we are indebted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. We should reciprocate his generous support to the region at a most pressing time of need. We should also support him for another term of office to execute the policies of his administration for the betterment of Nigerians,” Buni noted.

He said President Tinubu in 1992 supported the late Shehu Yar’adua against his fellow southern Yoruba kinsman Olu Falae. In 2007, President Tinubu also supported Atiku Abubakar in his presidential ambition. He further supported the late President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Therefore, in the spirit of natural justice and fairplay, the North is indebted to the second term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“We will mobilize Nigerians from all walks of life to  deliver President Tinubu having adopted him as our 2027 candidate in our state, we shall also deliver Baba Malam Wali as Governor, and all the other candidates of the party, by the special grace of God,” Buni assured.

Yobe state has no doubt become a distinguished political institution with a benchmark for peaceful, inclusionary, and developmental democracy that is worthy of emulation for Nigeria’s democracy to thrive.

– Mohammed is the DG Press and Media Affairs To  Governor Buni.