Nigerian politics, notorious for its intrigues, often revolves around the influence of godfathers. Since the return of democracy in 1999, these godfathers have consistently shaped the ascension of their godsons into political positions.
A godfather is a juggernaut who offers his structure for the political featherweight to rise to power. This mentorship dynamic is similar to a business mogul offering a protégé a ladder to climb to the top of a business empire.
From Zamfara to Kano and Sokoto, a trend has been set where outgoing governors install their godsons as successors only for them to rise against their benefactors immediately after assuming office.
While some godsons have challenged their godfathers successfully, others have had to face terrible consequences.
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- Governor Ambode of Lagos State misunderstanding with his godfather and now President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, led to his defeat in the party primaries for re-election.
- Ahmed Sani Yerima, a godfather, supported his Deputy Mahmud Shinkafi to succeed him as governor of Zamfara state. Shinkafi won the election, but a year into his tenure, a crisis with his godfather broke out that lasted throughout his term. Shinkafi lost re-election as a result of the feud with Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, who served two consecutive terms as governor of Zamfara state.
- In 1982, then governor of Kano, Abubakar Rimi, a member of the Peoples Redemption Party, had to challenge his godfather, Mallam Aminu Kano, due to a party crisis. Rimi defected to the governing National Party of Nigeria (NPN) when Shagari was President in pursuit of a second term, challenging the candidate of his godfather and benefactor, Mallam Aminu Kano, in 1983. He lost the election to Sabo Aliyu Bakin Zuwo.
- Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State contested the election against his godfather and in-law, whom he served as a legislative aide in the National Assembly, Sen. Abdullah Wali. Tambuwal and Aliyu Wammako, both the son and the godfather, are currently embroiled in a political duel. Wammako’s godson defeated Tambuwal’s godson in the 2023 governorship contest in Sokoto State.
- Consider the case of Kwankwaso and his longtime associate, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. Ganduje was the Deputy of Kwankwaso when he was governor and Special Adviser when he was Minister of Defence. Their long-time association facilitated his emergence as governor of Kano in 2015. Kwankwaso personally installed Ganduje as his successor in 2015 but is now in a war of attrition to the extent that Kwankwaso was at times barred from stepping foot into Kano, the capital of a state that he governed twice.
- A comparable political fallout between a godfather and godson in the southeast is the case of Willy Obiano, the current Governor of Anambra State, and Peter Obi, the immediate past Governor of the same state. Essentially, the narrative is that Obiano, a former executive director in a bank where Obi has a substantial interest, was virtually imposed on the Anambra people as Governor by Obi.
- Olusegun Mimiko was an appointee of the late Dr Olusegun Agagu in Ondo State. The latter, as governor, appointed the former as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). Mimiko took up another appointment as a minister at the national level and subsequently resigned to contest against Agagu in the 2007 governorship election, which Mimiko won via the courts. Mimiko went on to be governor for two consecutive terms, without a break.
- Former Governor Victor Attah was a benefactor to Godswill Akpabio. Akpabio was a commissioner under Attah. I believe he was the commissioner for local government affairs then. The politics of succession made the beneficiary and the benefactor part ways. Attah wanted his son-in-law, Dr Bob Ekarika, to succeed him in 2007. He did all he could to have his way. Akpabio, an appointee of Attah, moved against the dictate of the governor, won the primaries, and subsequently went ahead to win the election. He also won his re-election in 2011. He came to the Senate in 2015 and is now serving as a minister.
- Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is another benefactor whose beneficiary confronted and defeated two times or so in the election for the soul of Abia North until around 2019 when Kalu had the upper hand.
- The late Akin Omoboriowo was deputy governor to Adekunle Ajasin from 1979 to 1983 in Ondo state. In 1983, he defected from the UPN to the NPN and challenged Ajasin for the governorship. He won a disputed election, which led to violence.
- Late Governor Akeredolu’s deputy defected to the PDP in the last election. He lost the PDP primary to Eyitayo Jegede and then defected to another party, under which he challenged his boss and lost.
A recent example of a godson challenging his godfather is that of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who contested for the office of the President under the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
One Monday, his benefactor Bola Tinubu declared his intention at the state house to contest for the office of the President. Though Osinbajo had not yet declared his intention to the general public or the President at that time, there were speculations by newspapers that he had informed President Buhari of his interest.
Yemi Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was a former commissioner in the administration of Bola Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos State. Tinubu single-handedly nominated Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate when he realized that the Muslim-Muslim ticket was a no-go area.
If this is true, Osinbajo would have been participating in the APC primaries against the wishes of his benefactor Tinubu. This proves the saying that a godson can challenge his godfather.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara is currently having a feud with his godfather Nyesom Wike, just seven months after assuming the mantle of the state. We are watching as the drama unfolds.
This trend is a reflection of the country’s changing political environment. As opposed to the traditional mentor-mentee relationship prevalent in professional settings, it is evident that godsons are no longer satisfied with playing supporting cast to their godfathers and are more than eager to defend their voice when necessary.
Adnan Mukhtar is a Political PR Consultant and University Lecturer
