The feud between Gov. Mohammed Umaru Bago, of Niger state, and his deputy, Yakubu Garba, has intensified amid speculations that the latter may resign from his position.
Garba’s quiet relocation from his official residence, opposite the Justice Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna, has further fueled reports of a deepening crisis. Insiders say the friction between the two began shortly after they assumed office in May 2023.
According to Daily Trust, sources linked the feud to a leaked recording of a private conversation involving Garba, in which he reportedly criticized the governor’s decisions. The recording was allegedly forwarded to Governor Bago, triggering distrust.
Other political insiders believe the rift is part of a broader scheme by Niger East power brokers to weaken Garba’s influence ahead of the 2031 governorship rotation expected to favour the zone.
The deputy governor is reportedly sidelined from state affairs, rarely given authority to act as governor even when Bago travels. He has only functioned in that capacity once — in November 2024, when the governor travelled to the United States.
According to sources, the latest trigger was a phone call from Bago warning Garba to control his supporters who had expressed discontent over the APC’s local government consensus list.
“The governor called the deputy yesterday and warned him to be careful. That was when the deputy decided to leave his official residence,” a source said.
A source close to the government said Garba has removed personal belongings from his residence and office and is likely to submit his resignation upon Bago’s return from Russia.
However, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Bologi Ibrahim, denied knowledge of any fallout between the two leaders.
Similarly, the Deputy Governor’s Press Secretary, Unmulkhatumi Abdullahi Kuta, said: “His Excellency the Deputy Governor has not resigned and cannot resign. I am in his official residence now and he is also here.”
The fallout is also tied to the APC consensus list for the November 2025 local government elections. The deputy governor’s preferred candidate for Shiroro LGA, Babangida Wasa Kudodo, was dropped in favour of Isyaku Bawa.
Stakeholders in the Lakpma zone, which faces high levels of insecurity, claim the governor has ignored a zoning agreement that would have given the chairmanship to their region.
“We voted for Bago because of Garba. If our choice is not respected, APC will suffer here in 2027,” said youth leader Ahmed Sarki Chukuba during a protest in Shiroro.
Sources also allege that the deputy governor’s office budget was reduced from ₦50 million to ₦20 million. Some of his duties were reportedly transferred to the Deputy Chief of Staff — the governor’s younger brother.
On Sunday, Garba reportedly held a closed-door meeting with his aides from 4 pm to 1 am, after which he ordered them to vacate the official residence.
Notable political figures, including the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and top APC stakeholders, reportedly pleaded with Garba to reconsider his decision to resign.
The crisis isn’t limited to Shiroro LGA. In Mokwa, APC members protested the imposition of the incumbent chairman, Jibril Abdullahi Muregi, over a consensus candidate, Ibrahim Buka, agreed upon through zoning.
“If our choice is ignored, we will show our anger at the polls. The APC is losing its base,” said protest leader Mohammed Idris.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, indirectly addressed the tension during the launch of flight operations at the Minna airport on April 23.
“You know the job of a deputy governor. You need a high dose of patience to do the job anywhere in the world,” Malagi said.
Observers have compared the ongoing crisis to the fallout between former Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his deputy, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, in 2015, when Aliyu allegedly barred Ibeto from an executive council meeting after his defection to the APC.