By Rayyanu Bala

When the political tension in Lafia was at its peak culminated to now rested suspension of the chairman of Lafia Local Government Council, Hon. Mohammed Arabo, by the state House of Assembly, I argued in my write up titled: “Lafia Political Crisis And The Battle For The Soul of Nasarawa APC” that the tension wasn’t really about Arabo. It was deeper than that.

I said the real issue was a struggle for the soul of the APC in Nasarawa State, just a kind of a quiet but intense contest for control between Governor Sule and Senator Al-Makura. For saying that, I was insulted and labelled all sorts of names by some individuals who believed I was opposed to Al-Makura. Anyone who questioned the narrative that Arabo was not the issue, was treated like an enemy.

But politics, especially party politics, is rarely that simple. Power does not fight in the open first; it tests the ground through proxies, influence, and structure. That was the point I was making at that time.

Now, fast forward to today. The dust has settled, and what many said did not exist is now clearly in the open. The fight is no longer whispered about, it is loud and unmistakable.

The question of who truly leads the APC in Nasarawa State is now being openly contested. Camps are forming. Lines are being drawn. Exactly what I said regarding the crisis in Lafia has finally revealed itself.

So, who was right? Was it those who reduced everything to Arabo, or those of us who insisted the matter was about control, relevance, and the future direction of the APC?

This is not about gloating or saying “I told you so.” It’s about honesty in political analysis. Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable, especially when it challenges selfish opinion or interests. But time has a way of defending facts better than arguments ever could.

Those who insulted me instead of engaging me, missed an opportunity to look deeper. Politics is not driven by noise alone; it is driven by interests, structures, and ambition. What we are witnessing now is not a new fight, it is the continuation of an old one that many refused to acknowledge.

In the end, history will answer better than any of us. But one lesson is clear: calling me names does not change reality. Ignoring the real issue does not make it disappear. And speaking the truth, even when it’s unpopular with a section, is not being wrong, it’s just being ahead of the moment.

The now loud attempt to canonize Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as the leader or rather the godfather of the APC in Nasarawa is not the best just as it’s deeply misleading as well as dangerously out of touch with political reality.

Yes, Senator Al-Makura did not only played a role but he singlehandedly brought Governor Sule. But past contributions do not translate into a permanent stranglehold on the present.

The greatest disservice any elder can do to a party is to refuse to step back and allow new leadership to breathe.

Governor Abdullahi Sule is not a political appointee, he is the constitutionally recognized leader of the APC in Nasarawa State by virtue of being the sitting governor.

What is worrisome today is not Sule’s leadership, but someone’s overbearing influence and the constant attempt to rule by proxy.

A leader who truly believes in democracy does not, dictate, or undermine authority under any guise.

Of course, there is a fine line between guidance and control and that line of guidance has been crossed under the present political development in Nasarawa state.

The constant invocation of 2019 is telling. If every governor were eternally shackled to those who helped them emerge, then progress would be impossible. By that logic, no leader would ever truly lead. .

Governor Sule has since won his own mandate, earned his own legitimacy, and built his own political capital. Reducing him therefore to a perpetual beneficiary of another man’s shadow is not fair, it is akin to political suffocation.

Even within the APC, elders elsewhere understand this simple truth. In Plateau State for example, just last Friday, former Governor Simon Lalong stepped aside and allowed the new APC governor who defected from the PDP to assume full leadership of the party in the state. That is statesmanship. That is how parties grow. That is how unity is preserved. Anything short of that is but a dressed up ego.

True loyalty to the APC and to Nasarawa State demands respect for institutions, not personality cults. It demands that elders know when to speak, and when to step back. Governor Abdullahi Sule is the leader today. Any narrative that denies him that space, that authority, or that respect is not about the party’s interest; it is about personal vested interest.

History does not only remember those who fought battles, it also remembers, on the negative side, those who refused to let go. And that is not a legacy any leader should desire for.

We appeal that Governor Abdullahi Sule should not be constrained, but rather allowed the freedom to fully manage his power transition, As all other past governors were allowed.