Northern governors and the dangers of wishful politics, by Hassan Ahmad
Northern Nigeria today is at a turning point. From the deserts of Sokoto to the valleys of Taraba, from the rural fields of Zamfara to the bustling cities of Kaduna and Kano, our people are groaning under the heavy weight of insecurity, poverty, and neglect. Bandits roam freely, insurgents exploit weak borders, farmers abandon their fields, and children lose their future as schools remain shut. Yet, in the midst of these crises, many of our governors appear more preoccupied with politics than governance.
Recent developments across the North reveal a disturbing trend. Instead of focusing on protecting their people, some governors have turned to intimidation, violence, and the misuse of government institutions as weapons against the opposition.
Thugs are being armed, political gatherings disrupted, convoys attacked, and security agencies misdirected to silence dissent. This dangerous obsession with power is nothing but wishful thinking—a belief that political turmoil will secure their hold on authority. It will not.
The Folly of Thuggery in Politics
The use of political thugs and state-backed intimidation is neither a sign of strength nor of strategy; it is a confession of weakness. Leaders who genuinely deliver on security, development, and justice need no thugs to defend their positions. Their record speaks for them, and their people stand with them. When a governor deploys thugs and weaponises police or security forces against rivals, it reveals not confidence, but fear. It shows not leadership, but desperation.
In several states, we have seen opposition convoys destroyed, rallies violently dispersed, and critics threatened into silence. This behaviour does not build peace—it breeds chaos. It does not win loyalty—it creates resentment. It does not strengthen democracy—it weakens it.
Governors Are Forgetting Their Oaths
Every governor swore an oath to protect the lives and property of the people, to uphold the Constitution, and to govern with fairness.
But what we are seeing today is the opposite: those same instruments of state power are being turned against citizens and political opponents. While villages burn, while bandits impose levies on farmers, while women and children march in protest of government negligence, governors are busy sending thugs to crush opponents. This is a betrayal of public trust and a gross misuse of power.
Lessons from History
History is full of lessons for leaders who care to learn. Those who rely on violence and intimidation to maintain power always end in disgrace. The thugs empowered today will tomorrow become the monsters terrorizing society. The security agencies misused today will tomorrow write damning reports against those who gave unlawful orders.
The citizens silenced today will one day rise with their votes, their voices, and their resistance.
No throne built on injustice has ever stood for long. Power obtained or sustained by bloodshed and intimidation is fragile. It collapses the moment the oppressed find courage, or when Almighty Allah decides the time of reckoning has come.
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The Real Enemies of the North
Northern governors must be reminded that the true enemies of the people are not the opposition parties but the insecurity, poverty, and ignorance destroying the region. The real enemies are the bandits taxing villagers in Kebbi, the insurgents attacking farmers in Borno, the kidnappers tormenting families in Niger, and the hunger gnawing at households in Sokoto and Katsina. Instead of waging war against their political rivals, governors should wage war against these forces that keep our people in fear and backwardness.
Northern Nigeria cannot afford more turmoil. It is already carrying the heaviest burden of displacement, with millions of internally displaced persons scattered across the land. It is already home to the highest rates of out-of-school children, the worst levels of malnutrition, and the slowest pace of development. Any governor who adds political violence to these challenges is not only harming the opposition, he is betraying the future of the region.
The Call for Responsible Leadership
Governors must remember that political office is temporary. Four or eight years pass quickly, but the consequences of injustice last forever. When they leave office, it will not be the thugs they armed that will stand with them. It will not be the security forces they misused that will protect them. It will only be their legacy—and the judgment of history and Almighty Allah.
True leadership is not shown in how many convoys you destroy, how many rallies you break, or how many critics you silence. True leadership is shown in how many lives you save, how many jobs you create, how many schools you build, and how much hope you restore to your people. That is the legacy that survives office. That is the only power that lasts.
Conclusion
The North is standing at a dangerous crossroads. Will its leaders rise above selfish ambition and reckless politics, or will they drag the region deeper into instability? The answer lies in the choices of today’s governors. They can choose to be remembered as leaders who protected their people, or as rulers who endangered them for the sake of power.
Northern Nigeria does not need thugs. It does not need intimidation. It does not need wishful politics. What it needs is courage, compassion, justice, and development. Governors must therefore abandon the path of recklessness and embrace the responsibility of leadership. For in the end, thuggery cannot govern, bullets cannot silence truth forever, and power is nothing without justice.
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