By Ikenna Asomba
COUNTDOWN to the all-important presidential election billed for 16 January 2027, the perceived political witchhunt of key Northerner heavyweights such as Nasir el-Rufai, Abubakar Malami, and now Danladi Umar, who had hitherto thrown spokes into the political wheels and ambitions of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, shows it is self-evident and conspicuous like the North Star that the man called Tinubu never forgets.
Moreso, arguably, it appears that the popular aphorism that says, “The North always remembers,” seems to be falling flat on its face?
Just like el-Rufai and Malami, Bola Tinubu has today come for Danladi Umar, who felt untouchable under President Muhammadu Buhari, by sending him to Kuje Prisons on a four-count corruption charge of allegedly abusing his official position by conferring an undue advantage on himself while he served as head of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
It must be vividly recalled that in 2011, Danladi Umar was the Judge of the CCT who went on to try Bola Tinubu on a three-count criminal charge filed against him by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, for alleged false assets declaration and allegedly operating 10 foreign bank accounts while serving as the Governor of Lagos State (1999-2007), in violation of Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
By November 30, 2011, following political pressures, Mr. Umar, who chaired a three-member panel that tried the case, dismissed the Nigerian government’s charges against Tinubu, describing them as a “trial by ambush”.
President Jonathan wanted to appeal the verdict, but no less a person than Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Mohammed Adoke, intervened. Bola Tinubu, ably represented by Professor Yemi Osinbajo, et al., won that toughest political battle of his life. The rest they say is history.
Lo and behold, some 15 years later, Bola Tinubu, who never forgets, has come for Umar’s jugular. Bola Tinubu came for Abubakar Malami and Nasir el-Rufai because they refused to kiss the ring.
Recall that Malami, as AGF under Buhari, in cahoots with the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, changed the Nigerian currency in 2022 to avert massive vote buying by Tinubu. For attempting to stop his age-long presidential ambition, Tinubu came for the jugulars of Emefiele and Malami.
For attempting to undermine his 2027 presidential re-election ambition, Bola Tinubu has continued to politically witchhunt Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to the chagrin of his three wives, several children, and probably the entire Core Arewa North.
Going into the 2027 presidential polls, it is now self-evident and conspicuous like the North Star that Bola Tinubu does not forget. But, will the Core Arewa North forget all the calamitous whirlwind that Tinubu’s regime has brought to their kinsmen and region, and massively voting for him again in 2027?
We shall see whether the North actually remembers as they boast!
Asomba is a political scientist and journalist. He writes from the State of Illinois, United States.
