Sambo/Makarfi: When Fate Turns Friends to Rivals

The death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, though expected in many quarters considering the illness that bedevilled him since last year, had thrown the entire political landscape into deep soul-searching and maneuverings. As it is typical of politicians, the death opened an opportunity for those seeking favour in the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency to perfect their negotiation skills with a view to getting something either for themselves, or their anointed candidates.

The need to appoint a vice president, as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pitted various interest groups against each other, with the intent of getting their way and possibly scoring a huge political gain in the scheme of things in the country.
From media reports, the two powerful groups who fought it all the way were the Governors Forum and the Northern Caucus in the Senate. To many, the latter’s position reflected the position of the entire legislative arm of government at the Federal level. As it turned, the two groups eventually settled for one of their own: Governors endorsed Architect Namadi Sambo of Kaduna State while the senators went for Ahmed Muhammed Makarfi. Incidentally, Makarfi served as the executive governor of Kaduna State between 1999 and 2007, before handing over power to Sambo three years ago.

What many do not know is that both politicians are bosom friends who have played huge parts in the political lives of each other. While the relationship has gone a bit sour in the last two years, the haste with which both leaders moved to mend fences proved how well they value each other and how determined they are to make the friendship work, at least politically. To some analysts, this becomes imperative considering the fact that with the positions the two are holding, it will amount to a political suicide for one to abandon the other midway.

Even though Sambo has since established himself as a formidable politician worthy of notice in the Northern political landscape, he very much owes his meteoric rise to his predecessor, Makarfi. It was the latter who against all odds, stood for Sambo during the party primaries to select who flies PDP’s flag in the 2007 gubernatorial polls. Before then, not much has been heard about Sambo, except that his company, Nalado Construction, handled some juicy contracts during Makarfi’s tenure. In the end, Sambo defeated the then front-runner in the race Senator Isaiah  Balat and eventually won the election, defeating close rival and candidate of the All Nigeria peoples Party (ANPP), Hon. Sani Sha’aban.

While many expected the relationship between Makarfi and his successor to be smooth, it actually turned frosty, and at a time, many PDP supporters in Kaduna feared the worst. Ironically, the two personalities have never acknowledged the existence of any misunderstanding between them, at least publicly. In the same vein, their top aides, in various interviews and statements, denied knowledge of any conflict between the two leaders.
So when last February a peace and reconciliation meeting was convened to reconcile the two leaders, the question on the lips of many was that were they fighting? What has happened between them that will warrant reconciliation? Speaking at the well-attended event which held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Peace and Reconciliation Committee (NPRC), General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd) said as leaders in the state, both Sambo and Makarfi must bury their differences and work for the unity and progress of both the PDP and Kaduna state.

The committee read out the agreement earlier reached in Abuja with the former governor, Makarfi and the incumbent , Sambo. The agreements are as follows: “To endeavour to meet more regularly so as to resolve minor issues before they snowball into huge problems, to resume the earlier practice of appearing together at public functions, as this would send positive signals to the followership, that regular meetings of the state party Caucus be resumed and be convened by the state party chairman in collaboration with the state governor.
“That, since Kaduna remained a media centre, Party problems should be kept away from the mass media, that the NRPC should arrange to pay a solidarity visit to Kaduna to assure Party members that peace had been restored to Kaduna PDP. The unforgettable legacy of that reconciliation meeting was the public hugging of the two leaders amid cheers from their supporters and other PDP chieftains in Kaduna.”

Since that fateful gathering, the peace between the two leaders has, for much part, held, and the two have remained in touch, and have attended occasions within and outside the state together. On the day when Yar’Adua will be buried, both Makarfi and Sambo flew to Katsina for the burial rites together in the same plane. Makarfi’s first port of call that morning was Kaduna Government House where he condoled with Sambo over the demise of the former President, as well as join him on a chartered flight on the trip to Katsina. Unknown to them however, fate was waiting to pitch them together in a battle for Nigeria’s number two citizen.

For many especially in Kaduna and environs, there is nothing in common between the two leaders. While Makarfi has been in active politics for close to two decades, Sambo only picked interest in every day political activities after he was anointed as the PDP’s candidate by Makarfi in early 2007. And all through his political life, he has maintained a strong sense of honesty, an attitude which seems to be rare among a large chunk of politicians. In government, he based his vision on the 11-point agenda which he said would be used to transform Kaduna. The 11 points are security, free and compulsory primary education, agriculture, poverty alleviation, youth and women empowerment, infrastructural development, healthcare delivery and industrial regeneration. Others are provision of housing for all, particularly low income earners, transformation of rural areas and finally improved welfare package for workers.

In achieving his set target, Sambo remained largely under the shadow of his predecessor, preferring instead to function from the background and allow his work to speak for him. This laid back attitude, according to some, played a huge part in making President Goodluck Jonathan to nominate him to serve as the Vice President, ahead of Makarfi. Expounding further on this point, human rights activist and public affairs commentator, Shehu Sani, told THISDAY in an interview that the decision to choose between Sambo and Makarfi was never a difficult one.
“This is because Sambo will offer unconditional loyalty to the President. He is honest no doubt, but my fear is that he is not your everyday politician who has the clout to deliver his region in case Jonathan decides to run. Makarfi on the other hand has the political clout, has huge followership but he is too independent-minded to be trusted for loyalty. Of the two, I am sure no leader will leave Sambo for Makarfi,” he said.

Giving an anecdotal insight into the friendship between the two politicians, Sani said it started on a very strong footing, got thawed along the line and is now threatening to go gaga. “The friendship started like that of former Lagos state Governor Bola Tinubu and his successor, Raji Fashola. It became like that of Nassarawa State Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma and his predecessor, Abdullahi Adamu. At a point, it was threatening to be like that of Enugu Governor Sullivan Chime and his former boss Chimaroke Nnamani, and possibly that of Rashidi Ladoja and his estranged godfather, Lamidi Adedibu.”
For James Bawa Magaji, the former Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Sambo’s humane disposition is what is needed in the country’s political scene. “He has exemplary good character of honesty, responsibility, accountability and scholarship. His greatest achievement, as far as I can tell, is his legacy of commitment and integrity, due process and honesty as a public servant and as a politician for the younger ones to emulate.”

Though he lost out to a person he may have nurtured into governorship position, Makarfi is a formidable politician who left an enviable record of performance as a governor. In the Senate, he is respected by his fellow senators as a thorough-bred lawmaker who takes his assignments seriously. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Makarfi is seen by his colleagues as a man to rely on in times of decision. Though not in the best of health, he has carried out his assignment with verve and dignity since his election into the upper chamber of the National Assembly in 2007.
For the people of Kaduna, the choice between the two leaders was no doubt a good one for the state. Despite its acclaimed fame as the capital of Northern Nigerian politics, this is the first time an indigene of Kaduna is getting a slot at Nigeria’s seat of power, either as President or Vice President. Incidentally, it came down to a straight choice between two good friends. As expected, the entire state has been thrown into unbridled Sambo and Makarfi better friends, or will it signal a relapse into murky waters of rivalry and possible confrontation? Time will tell.