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Gombe Politics: The Travails of a Diminishing Godfather
Gombe Politics: The Travails of a Diminishing Godfather
By Khalil Kashere
In a rare media appearance, former governor of Gombe State and senator representing Gombe central, Danjuma Goje, was in the news last weekend. It thus appears the senator has for a while been consigned into obscurity in the politics of Gombe, a state he once bestrode and held sway in like a colossus.
It was an opinion article titled “Senator Goje: The Mistake APC Must Avoid” written by Louis Achi. The article bemoans the diminishing leadership status of senator Goje, the erstwhile strongman of Gombe politics casting him as a victim of political subterfuge and betrayal.
The article presented a pitiable scenario, yet, describing him as “a winning candidate (sic) Danjuma Goje, becoming a pariah in his own party simply because he commands the loyalty of the electorate.” A paradox of some sort that exemplifies the illusion of power and overrated influence of a yesterday man. How can a man that commands the loyalty of the electorate become a pariah in party politics. In the American fantasy drama television series, Game of Thrones, created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, power is aptly described as an illusion, a shadow on the wall. It resides where people believe it resides, not necessarily in the hands of the powerful. The game of power, like in other climes, is ever dynamic. This is the current reality of Gombe politics where power has since changed hands.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is apt to state the fact in order to correct the misinformation and disinformation in the said article. Curiously, the article concocted some half-truths, half-falsehood narratives in a futile attempt to dress Senator Danjuma Goje in a borrowed robe as the main factor in Gombe politics. Here is a state where there is a sitting second term APC governor, who has not only performed excellently well across indices to the admiration of all and sundry but has demonstrated leadership and unwavering loyalty to the party as being led by President Bola Tinubu.
In 2023, at a time when the wave of opposition was blowing across the north, especially the north east states, Senator Goje was aloof, only concerned about his own senatorial seat. He lifted no finger in support of the party.
Unashamedly, the revisionist article corroborated the fact of Goje’s absence in APC victory in Gombe when it wrote: “While the APC suffered humiliating defeats in Gombe, losing all two other Senate seats and five out of six House of Representatives seats to the PDP, Goje alone stood tall. Without stepping out for a single campaign rally, his constituents overwhelmingly re-elected him.” Yet, with this obvious fact, the writer still naively ascribed to the same man, a messianic role which Providence has since taken away from him. He wrote: “Despite his loyalty and proven electoral value, the APC and the Presidency seem relunctant to tap into Goje’s political capital to strengthen the party in Gombe state.”
Even after the emergence of President Tinubu and in furtherance of his disdain for the president and the party, Goje chose to work against the party’s position in the choice of the leadership of 10th senate by siding with the opponent. Where he could not visibly be absent, he arrogantly maintain aloofness. Only recently, APC stakeholders in the north east gathered on self assessment to review the party’s two years scorecard. Everyone that matter rose at that meeting to express satisfaction and voiced their position to pass a vote of confidence on President Tinubu-led federal government. Again, Senator Goje was conspicuously absent. How then can anyone in good conscience blame the people of Gombe for his declining political fortune.
Let it be known that in the present Gombe, there is no question at all as to where the lever of power resides. Putting it in its proper context, the 2023 elections, federal and state in Gombe, offered a clue as to when the rain started beating the ex-godfather. That was when the people spoke in unambiguous terms with the election of Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya for a second in office. Goje who choose to play double standard by remaining in the All Progressive Congress (APC) but working against the party’s interest was soon to realise that without him, the people could resoundingly vote governor Inuwa Yahaya based on his performance.
Without doubt, Goje’s previous records vis-à-vis his commitment to party loyalty bear eloquent testimony of his lack of interest in Tinubu presidency. It cannot be overstated that Senator Goje refused to work for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential elections. There is nothing suggesting that he is ready to work for his reelection in 2027. After all, he did not support the re-election of Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya as governor. Neither did he supported, Usman Bello Kumo, the only APC member of the House of Representatives from Gombe and now Chief Whip who despite the obstacles placed before him has continued to win elections courtesy the power of the people. It is on record that Goje spared no effort to undermine Hon. Kumo, his former political son, whose only sin lies in his bourgeoning popularity among his people. But for providence and the determination of Gombe electorate, the state would have lost the chance of producing a ranking member with the attendant benefits for the state. Similarly, the three members of the Gombe State House of Assembly within the Gombe Central senatorial district emerged without any support from Goje who instead worked against the interest of the ruling APC where he now seeks relevance.
Let it be clearly stated: Senator Danjuma Goje is not a victim of political persecution but the architect of his own misfortunes. He is reaping the consequences of a long pattern of double standards, self-serving politics and quiet sabotage against the very party that made him what he is today. You cannot claim to love the APC and at the same time undermine its leadership at every turn. While loyal party members were on the field defending the party’s mandate and selling the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Goje and his loyalists were openly fraternizing with the opposition. In fact, his actions and silence during that period emboldened the opposition and weakened party morale. No true party man behaves that way and still expects to be treated as a hero.
For someone who claims to be the leader of the North-East Senators’ Caucus, it is rather ironic that Senator Goje shunned a major APC stakeholders’ summit convened to strengthen the party and take key decisions, including the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term. At a time when genuine party men were rallying around the President and consolidating unity ahead of 2027, Goje chose to stay away. That singular act exposed his double standards and confirmed that his commitment to the APC begins and ends where his personal interests are served, which is a sharp contrast from the image the vexed article is trying to portray.
Also, it is inconceivable that a man like Senator Goje who could be rightly be described as an elder statesman would seek to justify his verbal misadventure on the floor of the senate on the so-called lop-sidedness in funding for the north east, when in fact it was a case of an undisguised outpour of long concealed venom and bitterness.
As a ranking senator, Goje is not new to budgeting processes. What elders like him does in that circumstance is to use his influence to lobby his colleagues for more allocation rather than speaking to the gallery.
To rationalize his action as “Senator Goje was simply doing what a statesman should – speaking truth to power,” is to debase statesmanship.
Lastly, the article’s attempts to paint a picture of a Gombe APC that cannot survive without Goje is another fallacy and a joke taken too far. Here was a man that was suspended by APC at the Ward level and was later expelled for his anti-party activities; the expulsion was ratified by the party at local government level and approved by the party at the state level. It was on record that Goje, rather than defending himself and seek appeasement rushed to the High Court where to his amazement his expulsion was further affirmed. The matter is currently before the Court of Appeal. Needless to say, this speaks volume. The point is no party does that to a valuable stakeholder. It is a treatment reserved only for a spent force.
Let it be known that with or without Goje, the APC in Gombe will continue to be stronger, united, and more vibrant. The party is better positioned for future victory than it has ever been, precisely because it has moved beyond personality politics.
*Khalil Kashere writes from Gombe
By Khalil Kashere In a rare media appearance, former governor of Gombe State and senator representing Gombe central, Danjuma Goje, was in the news last weekend. It thus appears the
