Ever since the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the 2023 governorship election in Kano State—a highly contested race that ended in court—I have been expecting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to find a space within his cabinet or elsewhere to accommodate Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, the APC deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 election in Kano State.
My readers may ask why I am bringing up the issue of Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo now, and what significance this call holds for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political future.
I have observed and analyzed the president’s political journey—what some describe as the political sagacity of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—and I have come to the conclusion that he takes grassroots mobilization and its drivers seriously. This is one of the reasons he is regarded as a political wizard of our time. By every standard, Murtala Sule Garo is poised to add vitality to the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which is deeply rooted in service to Nigeria.
Being the most populous state and potentially the largest democracy in Nigeria, Kano remains a strong voting bloc capable of shaping elections. Therefore, identifying and drawing closer to individuals who can read Kano’s political pulse should be one of the president’s prime concerns.
The political enigma popularly called “Commander” by the youth, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, is a formidable political figure in Kano State and beyond. He commands the loyalty of hundreds of youth organizations.
For years, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo has held the strings that move youth movements across the state. This influence is not accidental; he worked hard for it and won the hearts of young people. Youth and women empowerment, job creation, and commitment to social development sit at the top of Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo’s political priorities.
Thick Political Muscles…
Arguably, aside from the immediate past National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (CON), Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo is the most prominent and active political figure in the APC in Kano State. The numerous youths and women he commands are clear evidence of this. From Garo in Kabo Local Government to Gabasawa, Dambatta, and Gaya LGAs, Commander’s political structure cuts across the forty-four local government areas of Kano State. This political movement streams through villages, towns and cities, attracting youths daily.
For example, the one-million-man campaign march for Tinubu that Ganduje led in Kano State before the 2023 presidential election—along with many other political mobilizations—owed its success to Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo’s effective mobilization skills. Commander is to Ganduje what “Man Friday” was to Robinson Crusoe. Trust, loyalty, and capacity bind the two political leaders.
Garo is Green…
The Tinubu administration needs to invest more in nurturing youth inclusion. Although the government has appointed youths to key positions, youth inclusion remains central to the future of politics in Nigeria. Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo symbolizes youth empowerment and political renewal. Hundreds of thousands of young people look up to him.
A Source of Delight to Kano APC Members…
Both in and out of government, this political figure has given APC members in Kano State a lifeline. For example, during Ramadan and Sallah festivities, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo donated millions of naira to families, party elders, and APC social media team members. He has sustained this habit of supporting the party over the years.
It was to calm the nerves of Commander’s teeming supporters that Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje publicly stated that Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo’s appointment was underway. This not only brought smiles to the faces of party faithful, but also rekindled their hope.
Youth are yearning to see loyal party members and capable political leaders like Commander appointed into key positions. To them, such appointments reflect renewed commitment to their well-being.
Garo and Detractors
There are strong allegations that some individuals in key positions are working tirelessly to block Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo from receiving a federal appointment. They fear that Commander’s rising popularity is overshadowing their perceived failures. But such maneuvers are shortsighted and dangerous.
The APC in Kano State urgently needs Garo’s expertise and wide appeal to unseat the ruling NNPP in 2027.
To date, despite being out of government for a while, Garo remains the most acceptable APC figure in Kano due to his generosity.
Kano 2023 Governorship Election
Despite the challenges that hindered the APC from retaining the governorship seat in Kano, the party’s candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, still secured 890,705 votes, representing about 45.03% of the total votes, against Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who polled 919,602 votes, about 51.55%.
Traditionally, the people of Kano State tend to grow disenchanted with any government or political party after eight years, often opting for change. But Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo’s exceptional organizational capacity and mobilization skills played a crucial role in preventing the party from suffering a total collapse.
There were perceptions that the Buhari-led Federal Government was determined to politically humiliate former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, thereby complicating the APC’s position in the state. We all know what happened in court.
Garo and Kano By-elections
Renowned politicians and political commentators have pointed out that the APC’s loss in the Bagwai/Shanono State Assembly by-election, as well as its narrow escape in the Ghari/Tsanyawa by-election, can largely be attributed to the sidelining of Commander. The margin of 10,851 votes in Bagwai/Shanono was a clear sign of the party’s weakened grassroots presence. In Ghari/Tsanyawa, it was alleged that over-voting saved the APC from defeat.
Many believe that the absence of a trusted grassroots mobilizer like Commander significantly affected the APC’s performance. His deep connection with voters might have shifted the results in the party’s favor.
Despite these challenges, and based on the foregoing, I respectfully urge those within the corridors of power to convey this crucial message to President Tinubu. The prolonged delay in appointing Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo should be amicably and decisively addressed.
Commander is a political asset—akin to tonnes of fertilizer that keep Kano State’s political fields fertile and vibrant.
Your Excellency, granting a political appointment to this widely respected political figure will significantly boost the APC’s chances of reclaiming victory in 2027.
Aminu Dahiru wrote from Gwale, Kano.