From Edo to Kano: The Recurring Battle Between Political Godfathers and Their Heirs

By Olumide Bajulaiye

Nigeria’s political landscape has long been shaped not just by party ideologies, but by powerful personal alliances—often between political “godfathers” and their chosen successors. However, as recent developments in Edo State and Kano State reveal, these relationships rarely endure once power changes hands.

In Edo, the dramatic fallout between Adams Oshiomhole and his political protégé Godwin Obaseki remains one of the clearest examples of this pattern. Oshiomhole, widely credited with backing Obaseki’s rise to power, soon found himself at odds with the very structure he helped create. What began as a mentor-protégé relationship quickly devolved into a full-blown political confrontation.

Obaseki’s response was decisive. By breaking away from the All Progressives Congress and aligning with the Peoples Democratic Party, he not only secured his political survival but also dismantled the dominance of his former benefactor. Meanwhile, Osagie Ize-Iyamu emerged as a strategic counterforce, turning the contest into a three-way power struggle that transcended party lines.

This episode redefined political contests in Edo—not as party battles, but as clashes of influence, loyalty, and control.

A similar script appears to be unfolding in Kano, where longstanding political alliances are showing signs of strain. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a dominant figure in Kano politics, built a formidable network that produced key figures such as Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and later Abba Kabir Yusuf.

However, the Kwankwaso-Ganduje relationship has already demonstrated how quickly political loyalty can fracture. Once allies, both men became rivals, splitting Kano’s political structure into competing camps. Now, emerging tensions involving Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf suggest that history may be repeating itself—potentially on an even larger scale.

Adding another layer to the unfolding dynamics is Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, whose quiet political positioning mirrors the role played by Ize-Iyamu in Edo. Though less prominent in current discourse, such figures often become decisive players when internal conflicts weaken dominant blocs.

At the heart of these conflicts lies a deeper question: who truly controls political power? In many cases, elections are less about party supremacy—whether All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, or New Nigeria Peoples Party—and more about ownership of political structures.

Control over party machinery, candidate selection, and grassroots networks often determines outcomes long before voters cast their ballots. Once a political “son” ascends to power, the natural impulse to assert independence can clash with the expectations of the “father” who facilitated that rise.

The Edo experience underscored a critical lesson: political battles are not always fought on the ballot. They are often waged through loyalists, influence, and strategic defections.

As 2027 approaches, Kano appears poised for a similar confrontation—not merely an election, but a proxy struggle among entrenched interests. With Kwankwaso’s enduring influence, Ganduje’s counter-structure, and Abba Kabir Yusuf navigating the pressures of governance and allegiance, the stage is set for a complex political contest.

Across Nigeria, this pattern continues to repeat itself. Political godfathers rarely relinquish control willingly, while their successors increasingly seek autonomy. The result is a cycle of alliances formed and broken—turning elections into battlegrounds for unresolved rivalries.

In Kano, as in Edo before it, the contest for 2027 may ultimately be decided not by party lines, but by the outcome of these deeply personal political struggles.