By Rayyanu Bala
Yesterday, social and online media were awash with reports of the appointment of former Nasarawa State Governor and Senator, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, as an adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 APC Presidential Campaign Council.
Senator Al-Makura’s inclusion in the Presidential Campaign Council reinforces the position that he remains committed to the principles and directives of the APC, which require all party members to vote exclusively for APC candidates at all levels of elections.
The question now is: Can Senator Al-makura really abandon his godson, whom he anointed as his preferred governorship candidate and who is now in the SDP?
On Sunday, I wrote an article on the recently concluded APC presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, in which I drew the attention of APC supporters in Nasarawa State to the need to vote for the party’s candidates across all levels in the forthcoming general elections. My argument is that if we believe in the APC and its presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then we must also be prepared to support other candidates flying the APC’s flag.
In that article, titled “APC Presidential Flag-Off: A Takeaway for Nasarawa,” I cautioned those who intend to vote for Tinubu in the presidential election but switch allegiance to candidates of other political parties in the governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections. I urged them to think carefully about the implications of such a decision, especially in light of the messages delivered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, calling for party loyalty and support for APC candidates.
The message from Kaduna, which cautioned APC members against voting for candidates of other parties while supporting the APC presidential candidate, should not be taken lightly. It raises an important question: how can someone claim to be a loyal member of a political party and yet deliberately work against that party’s candidates at other levels of an election?
Of course, politics is a game of interest, and every voter has the right to make a choice. However, party loyalty also comes with a sense of responsibility. If you believe that the APC has the right leadership, vision and programmes to lead Nigeria, then it is only logical to consider supporting the party’s candidates at other levels.
There is little sense in voting for Tinubu for president while deliberately denying other APC candidates your support simply because you prefer candidates from other parties. Such an approach raises questions about the consistency of one’s political allegiance. If the intention is to strengthen the APC and enable its government to deliver on its promises, then having elected representatives who share the party’s platform may be an important part of achieving that objective.
There is a popular Hausa proverb that says, “Duk masu uwa, yaso Danta.” The expression, as commonly understood in this context, conveys the idea that those who love a mother should also recognise the place of her children. In other words, you cannot convincingly claim to love a mother while showing deliberate hostility towards her son.
This is a simple but powerful way to understand the argument for voting APC from top to bottom. If you profess loyalty to the party’s presidential candidate, why would you deliberately abandon the party’s other candidates at the ballot box? Does it not amount to sending contradictory signals about where your political loyalty truly lies?
Nevertheless, since the APC has presented its candidates, they deserve the full support of loyal party members. Under no circumstances should these candidates be undermined before or during the election. All members must demonstrate their loyalty by reaffirming their commitment to the party and supporting its candidates.
For APC supporters in Nasarawa State, the forthcoming general elections present an opportunity to demonstrate what party loyalty means in practical terms. It is not enough to attend rallies, wear party colours, chant slogans or express support for the presidential candidate. Loyalty must also be reflected in voting for APC candidates all the way.
The call for voting from top to bottom should therefore be understood as a call for consistency, unity and collective responsibility. If APC supporters want the party to remain strong and effectively implement its policies, they must carefully consider the importance of electing only APC candidates at the levels.
For those who genuinely believe in the APC project, it is worth asking whether supporting only the presidential candidate while rejecting the party’s other candidates truly serves the interests they claim to defend.
As Nasarawa State moves towards another general election, APC supporters must reflect on the message coming from the party’s leadership and decide how best to translate their support into action.
After all, you cannot claim to love the mother while deliberately turning your back on her children. If the APC is your political home, then your support should be guided by consistency and a genuine commitment to the party’s future.
Now that Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has joined the APC PCC, it remains to be seen whether he will abandon his godson, former IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu of the SDP, and throw his weight behind his party’s candidate, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu.
