INSIDE NIGERIA’S ‘MOST POLITICAL’ FAMILIES
Inside Nigeria’s ‘most political’ families
Hamza Idris, Ismaila Mudashir, Muideen Olaniyi (Abuja), Hamisu Kabir Matazu (Damaturu), Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos), Jeremiah Oke (Ibadan), Shehu Umar (Gusau), Iniabasi Umo (Uyo) & Peter Moses (Abeokuta)
There are a number of Nigerian families for whom it seems politics is in their DNA. Many have remained in the front burner of Nigeria’s political firmament even after the departure of their patriarchs, and some children and grandchildren are still occupying elective and appointive positions, creating bona fide dynasties. Here, we take a look at some of the most prominent.
Alhaji Waziri Kolo Ibrahim was a wealthy businessman from Damaturu in Yobe State but ‘reigned’ in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. He was one of the founders and financiers of the defunct Nigerian People’s Party (GPP) and a presidential candidate of the Great Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP), a party that he formed and won approximately 10% of votes in the 1979 presidential election.
Political pundits believe that the ‘dynasty’ of Waziri Ibrahim has extended to present-day politics in his stronghold. Hon. Bukar Sheriff, a politician and cousin to Waziri Ibrahim said the pattern of politics applied by the prominent politician to win election massively in the old Borno State and North East had become a blueprint for modern politicians in the zone.
According to him, “Our firm stand to remain in the opposition party had given the two states edge over the rest of the northern states in terms of party positions and other advantages, especially now that we form the central government.”
Waziri left behind two wives and 15 children, and two followed his footsteps closely, Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim, and her sister Aisha Waziri Ibrahim.
Khadija joined politics after she got married to Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, a three-term governor of Yobe State, and now a serving senator.
While in the lower chamber representing Gujba/Gulani/ Damaturu/ Tarmuwa constituency for her third term, Khadija Bukar was picked by President Muhammadu Buhari and appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. A by-election was held in her constituency and a new member emerged.
And as Buhari’s first term in office reaches its zenith and realignments for fresh round of elections begun, Khadija did not relent, she went back home and threw her ‘veil’ into the race to reclaim her seat in the House of Reps while still serving as minister, and she won, after much drama.
On her part, Aisha Waziri Ibrahim, too, has made an indelible mark, as she also went for the House of Reps to represent Jere Federal Constituency in Borno State but did not make it during the latest primaries. The mother-of-three used the famous slogan of her late father, ‘Politics Without Bitterness’ in selling her candidacy.
The Waziri Ibrahim name is still very famous, in Borno, Yobe, and beyond, with many grandchildren and in-laws making waves across various endeavours.
For four decades, the Saraki political dynasty has been in charge of the political machinery of Kwara State, producing those who occupy elective and appointive positions at both state and national levels. Founded by the late Abubakar Olusola Saraki (17 May 1933-14 November 2012), the dynasty first gained prominence in the Second Republic when it played key role in the emergence of Alhaji Adamu Attah, the first governor of old Kwara State, including part of the present day Kogi State.
Fondly called Oloye by his associates, Saraki was also instrumental to the removal of Attah in 1983 and installation of Chief Cornelius Adebayo. In 1979, under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Saraki was elected to the Senate and he was made the Senate leader.
Fast forward to the Fourth Republic in 1998 when the machinery for the transition to civilian rule was put in place in the country, he became a prominent figure and a Board of Trustees (BoT) member of the All People’s Party (APP). Under his watch, Mohammed Alabi Lawal became governor of Kwara State under the platform of APP.
In 2003 following irreconcilable differences, Saraki edged out Lawal, and decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and brought in his son, Bukola and daughter Gbemisola to contest for the governorship and senatorial race respectively. They both won, thus the dynasty was consolidated.
However, on expiration of Bukola’s second tenure as governor in 2011, the son reportedly had a ‘close shave’ with his father. The senior Saraki wanted the governorship seat to remain in their family but the junior kicked against it. The duo fielded different candidates. Oloye fielded Gbemi his under on the platform of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) while Saraki Jnr. sponsored Abdulfatah Ahmed on the platform of PDP. Ahmed won the governorship election.
On June 9, 2015, the dynasty grabbed the number three seat in the country when Bukola dribbled his way to clinch the Senate President seat. Twice, frantic efforts were made by the dynasty to spread its tentacles to the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The efforts yielded no result. The latest one was truncated two weeks ago when Atiku Abubakar picked the Presidential ticket of the PDP which Bukola eyed.
For 2019, it is a battle between brother and sister, as Bukola is set to slug it out with Gbemisola. While Bukola is sponsoring Razak Atunwa of the PDP for the governorship, Gbemisola is with the APC, supporting its candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak.
Oyo State, being the political headquarters of the South West, has produced many great leaders whose contributions have impacted greatly to the development of the region and Nigeria as a whole. Two among the past leaders are: Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), and Adegoke Adelabu.
Akinjide was Minister of Education in the government of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa during the First Republic; and then Minister for Justice in the administration of President Shehu Shagari during the Second Republic. Akinjide was also a member of the judicial systems sub-committee of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1975-1977.
The legal luminary later joined the National Party of Nigeria in 1978 and became the legal adviser for the party and he was later appointed the Minister for Justice. His daughter, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide had taken the footsteps of her father when she became the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the days of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Adelabu family was hitherto becoming history before one of their grandsons and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Chief Adebayo Adelabu secured the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State.
His grandfather, Adegoke Adelabu was a prominent personality in the politics of Ibadan city and subsequently that of the Western Region Nigeria right before the country’s independence in 1960. He was Nigeria’s Minister of Natural Resources and Social Services from January 1955 to January 1956 and was later the opposition leader in the Western Regional Assembly until his death in 1958.
Adebayo Adelabu’s victory at the party primary is bringing the political dynasty of the great politician back to life.
The Tinubu dynasty
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, National Leader of APC, is no doubt synonymous with Lagos politics. He was governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007; and upon completion of his tenure he positioned himself as the godfather in the Nigeria’s political firmament by installing one of his trusted aides, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who also served two terms of eight years. Way back in 1993, he was elected senator to represent Lagos West constituency just before a military take-over in December 1993.
Virtually all political officeholders in the ruling party in Lagos had the blessings of the ‘Lion of Bourdillon’.
But while he is doing this, his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu representing Lagos Central in the National Assembly, appears to be untouchable as she is about to serve for third consecutive term thereby making history as the first senator in the state to serve for more than eight years.
Daily Trust Saturday learnt that since the country returns to civil role, no Senator in the state had served for more than eight years. Sources said the concession of the ticket to his wife for the third term was strategic in reinvigorating the Tinubu’s dynasty against some dissidents.
Though, apart from his wife holding very visible position, the Tinubu political dynasty remains very strong and seemingly invincible with many of his nieces and cousins holding positions.
The appointment of his daughter, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, as the Iyalode General of Lagos State, is also strategic in galvanizing the support of thousands of market men and women in the state.
Tinubu is not only the strongman of Lagos politics, he is said to be firmly in control of South-West APC planting his people in many states in the south-west.
The Obasanjo family
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo remains, perhaps, the most controversial but relevant political leader in Nigeria. Since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, apart from serving two-term as president, he had played prominent roles in making and unmaking presidents.
Just recently, one of his sons, Olujonwo Obasanjo joined President Buhari’s campaign organization ahead of 2019, in what many believe is a flagrant disregard to his father’s posture. Back in December 2013, his daughter, Senator Iyabo ObasanjoBello penned a heavily worded letter to her father in response to a similar one he wrote ex-President Jonathan. The letter brought to the fore the deep rooted trouble in the Obasanjo family despite his domineering influence outside. The ex-leader also had major beef with his son Gbenga, a development that caused a stir in the family.
The Shinkafi family
The Shinkafi family is a renowned political family not only in Zamfara state but the country in general. The late Marafan Sokoto Alhaji Umaru Aliyu Shinkafi was a force to reckon with in Nigerian politics.
Late Umar Shinkafi was born in January 1937. He attended the University of Lagos where he bagged a law degree and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School after which he was called to the Nigerian Bar. He became the Federal Commissioner of Internal Affairs in 1975 where he spent four years in office after which he was appointed the Director General of the National Security Organization which he helped form. He was in this position till 1983 after which he delved into politics. He also had an extensive career in military intelligence.
During the Nigeria’s Third Republic, Shinkafi was one of the promoters of the Nigerian National Congress (NNC), a political association formed in 1989 after the disbanding of political groups by the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida-led military junta. The NNC later joined the defunct National Republic Convention (NRC).
Shinkafi emerged as a leading presidential candidate during the period Babangida banned politicians; he created a choice 92 campaign group for his presidential ambition, which intended to have a canvasser in every ward of the federation.
However, the primaries were later annulled and the presidential politicians banned from politics. A new primary was to be conducted under a new Option A4 electoral system which was approved by Babangida during which Shinkafi supported the eventual NRC presidential candidate, Bashir Tofa.
Fast forward to more recent times, the late Marafa’s daughter, Hajiya Fatima Umaru Aliyu Shinkafi was appointed as Commissioner for Commerce and Industry by Governor Yari in 2015. She was later appointed Executive Secretary, Solid Minerals Development Fund by President Muhammadu Buhari. His other daughter is Dr Zainab Atiku Bagudu, the first lady of Kebbi State, and also Hadiza Abdulaziz Yari, the wife of Zamfara governor, Abdulaziz Yari.
Similarly, the late Marafa’s younger brother, Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi had served as governor between 2007 and 2011 after served as deputy governor during the eight year tenure of former Governor Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima.
Mahmud Shinkafi defected to PDP after becoming governor but was defeated in 2011 by the then ANPP’s Abdulaziz Yari. He re-contested in 2015 and lost again to governor Yari and ahead of 2019.
The Ojukwu family
Bianca Ojukwu, the widow of late Biafran warlord, Odumegwu Ojukwu, recently entered into politics, taking after her late husband. She contested the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) senatorial primary in the Anambra South District where she lost to Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu.
Many had thought that Bianca, a former diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman and beauty queen, would get the ticket easily since her late husband remained the APGA leader till his death in 2011. Her husband, late Biafran warlord Ojukwu contested as APGA presidential candidate three times and the party controlled Anambra and Imo states in the South-East geo-political zone before a faction led by Governor Rochas Okorocha left to merge with the newly-formed All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014.
Testament to the influence of late Ojukwu, who was born in Zungeru, Niger State, Bianca’s defeat at the primary divided the Biafran movements. The proscribed Movement of the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Biafran Independent Movement (BIM), passed a vote of no confidence on the APGA leadership over the conduct of Anambra South Senatorial primaries.
Also, Emeka Ojukwu Jnr, the first son of Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who seemed not to be in good terms with Bianca, dumped the APGA for the APC last year in Awka, at the grand finale campaign of the APC candidate for the Anambra 2017 governorship election, Tony Nwoye.
Ojukwu Jnr, who said his decision to join the party was to protect the interest of the Igbos, added that it was time for the people of the South-east region to move from “the recession of the periphery to the centre.” He said the reason his father joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic was to ensure that Igbo people remained in the mainstream of Nigerian politics.
The Etiebet family
The Etiebet family from Oruk Anam Local Government of Akwa Ibom State is a family of repute known to have produced a former governor of the old Cross River State and former Petroleum Minister under the administration of Interim President Ernest Shonekan.
The elder Etiebet, Chief Donald Dick Etiebet, was a senator during Nigeria’s Second Republic and later became governor of Cross River State. His younger brother, Donatus Etiebet who was Petroleum Resources Minister later contested in the Presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 to emerge third place after former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Alex Ekwueme, respectively.
Donatus Etiebet was also the National Chairman of the defunct ANPP and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the APC and the caucus leader of the party in Akwa Ibom State.