Speculation over the potential resignation of Niger State Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, has gripped the state, fueled by reports of his alleged departure from his official residence in Minna and a deepening rift with Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
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Despite official denials, the rumours have intensified following claims of Garba’s gradual withdrawal from official engagements and the relocation of personal belongings from his residence opposite the Justice Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre. Insiders hint at months of festering tension between the duo since assuming office in May 2023, culminating in what many now describe as an “irreparable breakdown” in trust.
Sources linked the feud to multiple factors, including the controversial replacement of Garba’s preferred candidate, Babangida Wasa Kudodo, with Isyaku Bawa in the APC consensus list for the November 2025 Shiroro Local Government election. The decision, allegedly influenced by Governor Bago’s camp, reportedly left Garba and his supporters disillusioned.
Additionally, allegations surfaced that individuals close to the governor leaked a private conversation between Garba and other government officials, further widening the gulf between the two leaders. Some party insiders claim that political powerbrokers from Niger East Senatorial District, Garba’s home base, have sided with Bago in a bid to weaken Garba ahead of the 2031 governorship race.
A source close to Government House confirmed that Garba is only awaiting Bago’s return from his current official trip to Russia before making a final decision. “He has removed many of his belongings already. Traditional rulers and top officials have been pleading with him to reconsider, but he feels increasingly marginalized,” the source said.
Apart from the Shiroro LGA candidate controversy, Garba’s allies also pointed to a significant slash in his office’s allocation — from N50 million to N20 million — and the reported transfer of some of his statutory functions to the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, who is Bago’s brother.
The escalating crisis reached a climax on Sunday night when the Deputy Governor reportedly held a marathon meeting with his aides, ordered the vacation of his official residence, and vowed not to return. Efforts by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, some commissioners, and APC stalwarts to persuade him to stay proved unsuccessful, sources said.
In swift reaction, Ummikhultume Abdullahi, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, dismissed the resignation rumours as “false and baseless,” insisting Garba remained in his official residence and actively performing his duties. Similarly, Bologi Ibrahim, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Bago, said he was unaware of any rift.
However, eyewitnesses noted reduced activity at the Deputy Governor’s residence and absence from public engagements in recent days, lending credence to the resignation speculations.
The political crisis has spilled into public protests. Youths from the Lakpma axis of Shiroro LGA took to the streets yesterday, warning that the APC risked losing the 2027 elections if the governor does not respect the zoning agreement and reinstates Kudodo as the consensus chairmanship candidate.
“We voted for Bago because of Yakubu Garba. Today, the governor is disrespecting not only Garba but our entire community,” said Ahmed Sarki Chukuba, a youth leader.
Similarly, protests have erupted in Mokwa LGA over what party members describe as Bago’s imposition of unpopular candidates against the consensus arrangement, threatening further cracks within the ruling party.
Political analysts have faulted Governor Bago’s alleged sidelining of his deputy. “The deputy governor is not just an appointee — he was duly elected alongside the governor. He deserves respect and a voice in political decisions,” said Yahaya Mohammed Usman, a Niger State-based analyst.
Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mallam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, also warned that the continued marginalization of deputies is a growing democratic threat. He called for a constitutional amendment that clearly spells out the responsibilities and rights of deputy governors, beyond acting in the absence of their principals.
“If deputies are sidelined, it weakens governance, mentorship, and democratic consolidation,” Rafsanjani said, linking the Niger State crisis to a national pattern seen from the federal to the local government level.
Observers noted that this is not the first time Niger State has witnessed a major fallout between a governor and his deputy. In 2015, then-Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his deputy, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, engaged in a bitter feud that contributed to the PDP’s downfall in the state.
Many now wonder if history is repeating itself under the Bago–Garba administration, as tensions threaten to fracture the ruling APC barely halfway into their tenure.
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