Kebbi State Government Media Aides

24/10/2026

His Excellency, Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris (Kauran Gwandu), the Executive Governor of Kebbi State, arrives at the Kaduna State Government House to meet with his fellow APC governors ahead of the official flag-off of the presidential campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Kaduna.

20/10/2026

His Excellency, Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, Executive Governor of Kebbi State, on Tuesday, 20th October 2026, officially flagged off the construction of 3km roads in Aliero Quarters, Birnin Kebbi, to improve accessibility, ease transportation, and enhance infrastructure development.

20/10/2026

KEBBI GOVT CLARIFIES GARKUWAN YAURI’S ENTITLEMENTS CLAIM, CITES CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS AND STATE ASSEMBLY LEGISLATION

Press Release

The Kebbi State Government has clarified the circumstances surrounding the pension, gratuity and other entitlements of the state’s first civilian Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Musa Garkuwan Yauri, maintaining that the position of successive administrations has been guided by relevant constitutional and statutory provisions.

The government also reaffirmed Governor Nasir Idris’s respect for the former Governor as an elder statesman whose contributions to the development of Kebbi State remain acknowledged, stressing that the issue of entitlement is a matter of law and not a reflection of personal animosity or political differences.

The Honourable Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi, made this clarification during a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. He was accompanied by the Governor’s media aides at the briefing, which was convened to respond to allegations of neglect and non-payment of entitlements raised by Garkuwan Yauri during a recent interview with JKD Online TV.

The Commissioner explained that Garkuwan Yauri served as Governor from January 1992 to November 1993, a period of approximately 22 months, which, according to the government’s interpretation of the applicable legal framework, falls short of the two-year minimum tenure required for certain severance benefits.

He referred to a February 2010 directive by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission concerning pensions and gratuities for former Governors and Deputy Governors under Sections 84(5) and 124(5) of the 1999 Constitution. He maintained that the relevant provisions did not extend such benefits to Governors who served between 1991 and 1993.

According to the Commissioner, successive administrations in Kebbi State have based their position on the constitutional and statutory provisions governing such entitlements rather than on personal preferences or political considerations. He cited the 1999 Constitution and the Kebbi State Pension and Gratuity for Former Governors and Deputy Governors Law No. 11 of 2004 as the legal framework underpinning the government’s position on Garkuwan Yauri’s pension and severance gratuity.

The government, however, stressed that the absence of eligibility for particular statutory benefits should not be misconstrued as abandonment or disregard for the former Governor. It maintained that Governor Nasir Idris has continued to demonstrate goodwill towards Garkuwan Yauri through financial and material assistance during festive periods, as well as sponsorship for medical trips to Egypt on more than two occasions.

The Commissioner also cited compensation relating to a construction project, stating that the amount was doubled after the former Governor reportedly rejected the initial assessment. He further highlighted the naming of a hall at Government House after Garkuwan Yauri in 2025 and the facilitation of his son’s appointment as a career ambassador as examples of the administration’s goodwill towards the former Governor and his family.

The government also rejected suggestions that Governor Idris had abandoned Garkuwan Yauri or deliberately avoided maintaining contact with him. The Commissioner explained that, while still a governorship aspirant, Dr. Idris personally contacted the former Governor to inform him of his ambition and seek his blessing, prayers and support. According to the Commissioner, Garkuwan Yauri declined the request, citing his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He added that senior government officials and a team of media aides subsequently visited the former Governor at his Kaduna residence on more than two occasions to convey the Governor’s greetings and goodwill and encourage the maintenance of cordial relations.

The Kebbi State Government also urged Garkuwan Yauri to acknowledge development projects undertaken by the Idris administration, particularly those in his hometown of Warah. It maintained that development initiatives and genuine acts of goodwill deserve recognition regardless of political affiliation, insisting that political differences should not overshadow efforts aimed at improving the lives of citizens and strengthening relationships among leaders.

While acknowledging that criticism is an essential component of democratic governance, the government emphasised that public allegations should be guided by verifiable facts and a balanced presentation of events. It expressed concern that claims of neglect could create a misleading impression of hostility despite what it described as repeated efforts to sustain cordial relations with the former Governor.

The Commissioner further explained that the administration would have preferred to address the matter privately but considered a public clarification necessary in the interest of transparency, accountability and public understanding.

He reiterated that Governor Idris remains committed to respecting elder statesmen and ensuring that government decisions are guided by the rule of law, fairness and accountability. He maintained that the question of eligibility for the disputed pension and severance benefits must ultimately be determined by the applicable constitutional and statutory provisions.

The Kebbi State Government reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare, dignity and respect of former leaders and elder statesmen, irrespective of political affiliation. It called for constructive engagement, mutual respect and responsible public discourse, assuring the people of the state that Governor Nasir Idris would continue to pursue development, strengthen relationships across political divides and uphold the rule of law in the discharge of his responsibilities.

Signed:

Yahaya Sarki
Special Adviser (SA) Media and Publicity to the Kebbi State Governor
20/10/2026

18/10/2026

Kebbi Govt Rejects UNDP Poverty Report, Fires Back At Malami Over Comments On Report

By Umar Faruk

The Kebbi State Government has rejected in totality the recent report of the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, which ranked Kebbi as one of the poorest states in Nigeria, and has challenged the UN body to explain the indices, hypothesis and methodology it used in arriving at its conclusion.

The position of the government was made known on Sunday in Birnin Kebbi during a press briefing by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi.

The Commissioner said the report, titled 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, MPI, jointly published by UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, OPHI, does not reflect the current realities on ground in Kebbi State.

He said government finds the report questionable and is demanding full disclosure from UNDP on how the data was collected, what samples were used, which communities were visited and what parameters were applied to rate Kebbi as the poorest.

According to him, the government believes the report is outdated because it covers a period that predates the present administration and therefore cannot be used to assess the current situation.

He also accused opposition parties, especially the African Democratic Congress, ADC, of politicising the report to gain political advantage ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said, "There is no doubt that the recent UNDP report on the poverty index in Nigeria, which classified Kebbi State as one of the poorest, has been readily exploited by opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress to advance a narrative aimed at scoring political points as the general elections approach."

The Commissioner specifically took a swipe at the ADC gubernatorial candidate and former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, for championing the report.

He said, "The ADC's gubernatorial candidate and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has enthusiastically seized upon this so-called index. He has held briefings highlighting the report, urging the people of Kebbi State to vote out the APC government on the basis of the UNDP classification."

Ahmed-BK said it was morally wrong for a Kebbi indigene to celebrate a negative report about his own state for political reasons.

He further argued that the root of the poverty figures quoted by UNDP lies in the period Malami served as a top member of the Federal Government under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He stated, "The poverty levels documented in the report had their roots in that first term and deepened into the second. The UNDP report he has gleefully promoted covers the period from 2018 to three years into the first term of the Buhari administration."

The Commissioner made allegations linking the alleged accumulation of wealth while in public office to the economic dislocation captured in the report. These are allegations made by the Commissioner at the briefing.

He also recalled a previous security situation in Zuru Emirate, where Malami's casualty figure was later disputed by local authorities.

He said, "In June 2025, The Sun Newspaper and many other outlets reported him decrying the loss of 200 innocent lives in Tadurga Ward. As it turned out, the figures he quoted turned out to be absolute lies. Local security forces, local government officials and the Zuru Emirate Council later clarified that less than 30 people were killed."

Speaking on what the present administration is doing to tackle poverty and insecurity, Ahmed-BK said Governor Nasir Idris has invested heavily in security logistics and welfare of security personnel.

He said, "At the last count, he had procured and donated hundreds of Hilux vans and thousands of motorcycles and had invested hugely on the welfare of soldiers, policemen, DSS, Civil Defence Corps, hunters and vigilante groups involved in the prosecution of the fight against banditry."

He disclosed that through the efforts of the Governor, new military formations have been established in the state.

According to him, "Just recently, the Army Headquarters announced the establishment and operationalization of 28 Armored Brigade and Garrison in Birnin Kebbi. In Yauri and Kaoje, the 281 Tank Battalion and the 381 Artillery Regiment were also set up respectively to add to many other concessions won by Governor Nasir Idris."

He added that the state government is procuring armoured platforms to ensure a coordinated response to banditry and other violent crimes.

On the issue of potable water raised in the UNDP report and echoed by Malami, the Commissioner said the lack of infrastructure was a result of years of neglect and alleged mismanagement in the past.

He argued, "When Malami referred to the lack of potable drinking water as highlighted in the UNDP report, he appeared to have forgotten that his self serving decisions incubated the very conditions that produced shortages of critical utilities and infrastructure."

He said the current administration has embarked on massive infrastructural development across the state to reverse the trend of poverty.

He listed some of the interventions to include road construction, revitalisation of health and education sectors, free fertiliser and farming inputs, solar-powered and CNG-powered water pumps for dry and wet season farming, food distribution, recruitment of thousands of teachers, improved wages, payment of scholarships and school fees for students at home and abroad, and multi-billion naira cash transfer and social intervention programmes.

He stated, "The massive development of infrastructure across all parts of Kebbi State has been carried out in a manner never before seen in the state. These efforts were deliberately designed to improve the lives of the people and empower them."

Ahmed-BK admitted that the challenges are deep rooted and cannot be solved within three years, but noted that there are already signs of improvement.

He said, "All these measures and others are being taken to address the poverty problem. The dislocation is so deep and life-threatening that three years could not have been enough to completely reverse it. This is work in progress."

He concluded by calling on the people of Kebbi State to continue to support the administration of Governor Nasir Idris, whom he described as a leader who has started yielding positive results.

He said, "Kebbi State cannot afford to throw away the tree that has begun bearing fruit, awaiting harvest, only to risk handing over the affairs of the state to those who created the conditions for poverty to grow in the first place. Another term for Kauran Gwandu is a task that must be performed for the good work to continue for the betterment of our people."

17/10/2026

17/10/2026

THE MIND MAY BE BECLOUDED BUT FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS: A REJOINDER TO USMAN ABDULKADIR TALEEKI’S PREMATURE VERDICT OF FAILURE AGAINST GOVERNOR NASIR IDRIS

By Ibrahim A. Jombali

Nigeria is in a democracy and like any other democratic nation, Nigerians are free to express their feelings on governance, criticise the leadership and rubbish achievements, no matter how beautiful. So, every day, you encounter new voices, paid columnists and career antagonists who will never see anything in a government if they do not support it, or like the face of the people in government. They go to every length to write lengthy and concocted stories of how a government has failed, what the government did not do right, what the government failed or refused to do, but will never say what the government has done, no matter how beautiful, no matter how positively such efforts have touched lives. They are sworn enemies of the people because it is not the government of their choice and style.

The easiest thing in politics is to pronounce a government a failure; but the more demanding task is to examine its record fairly, distinguish facts from interpretations, and allow evidence to speak beyond partisan expectations. Unfortunately, Usman Abdulkadir Taleeki’s article, “3 Months to Another Election Cycle, and Now Everybody Can Agree That Dr. Nasir Idris’s Tenure in Kebbi Is but a Total Failure,” appears to have reached its verdict before completing its investigation. It presents selected budgetary figures as conclusive proof of governmental failure while giving insufficient attention to the projects, policies, interventions and institutional changes that must form part of any serious assessment of governance. He deliberately avoided these pertinent issues because they were not what he was sponsored to talk about.

The title itself is revealing. The assertion that “everybody can agree” that Governor Nasir Idris has failed is not an established fact; it is a political opinion dressed up as a universal conclusion. Kebbi State is not a monolithic society in which every citizen thinks alike, and no commentator, regardless of academic credentials, political affiliation or confidence in his own arguments, possesses the authority to speak for everybody. Citizens assess governments through different experiences, priorities and expectations. Some examine budget documents, others assess roads, schools, hospitals, agricultural support, employment opportunities, security interventions and the responsiveness of government to their communities. A credible assessment must engage these realities rather than dismiss them because they complicate a predetermined narrative.

Taleeki is entitled to criticise Governor Nasir Idris. Indeed, public accountability is indispensable to democracy. However, criticism does not become more credible merely because it is lengthy, numerically presented or introduced with an elaborate warning about intellectual laziness. Numbers are important, but numbers must be interpreted correctly, placed in context and tested against observable outcomes. Otherwise, statistics can become instruments of selective persuasion rather than tools for public enlightenment.

The central weakness of this article is not that it raises questions about education, revenue generation and agriculture. These are legitimate matters for public debate. Its fundamental weakness is the attempt to elevate concerns about three sectors into a conclusive declaration that an entire administration has failed, without giving comparable attention to the wider record of governance in Kebbi State. They live in Abuja, dwell in Abuja, talk in Abuja and write about Kebbi even when they are practically away from it. Their mind is made up that Kebbi can never be good, not when their paymasters are not in charge.

A BUDGETARY PERCENTAGE IS NOT THE COMPLETE STORY OF EDUCATION

Taleeki’s principal but baseless argument against Governor Nasir Idris begins with education. He cites a decline in the proportion of the state budget allocated to education, from 28.65 per cent in the final year of the previous administration to 14.96 per cent and subsequently 12.01 per cent. He then interprets these figures as evidence that a former teacher has neglected the sector he once served.

At first glance, the argument appears interesting . However, a closer examination reveals an important distinction: the percentage of a budget allocated to a sector is not, by itself, a complete measure of the resources committed to that sector, the quality of implementation or the outcomes achieved.

A responsible analysis must examine the total size of each annual budget, the actual amount appropriated for education, the releases made during the year, expenditure on capital and recurrent activities, and the projects delivered. It must also establish whether the figures being compared cover the same categories of expenditure and are based on consistent accounting methods.

If the percentage allocated to education declined, the next question should be whether the nominal allocation also declined, by how much, and what happened to actual expenditure and educational outcomes. Without that additional analysis, the percentage alone cannot establish the full extent of the government’s commitment or the degree of its success or failure. A mind deeply secluded from reality and beclouded by partisan considerations is naturally deprived of objective analysis and fair judgement.

This is not an argument against scrutiny. It is an argument for better and objective scrutiny.

The international benchmark invoked by Taleeki also deserves careful treatment. The widely cited education-financing benchmark is a useful policy reference, but it should not be presented as a substitute for examining the actual financial and operational record of a state government. The relevant question is not merely whether an allocation crosses a particular percentage threshold; it is also whether the money appropriated is spent effectively and whether children, teachers and schools benefit from it. The writer took a hurried flight from this because it does not serve his planned purpose.

More importantly, an assessment of education under Governor Nasir Idris cannot reasonably end with a budgetary table while ignoring interventions in school infrastructure, teaching resources and the administration of basic education.

Taleek has claimed ignorance of the fact that the administration has pursued school construction, renovation and furnishing initiatives, alongside the distribution of Android phones to head teachers in 2,014 primary schools and the provision of more than 4,000 tablets for educational purposes. The government has also committed substantial resources to school furniture, with a reported allocation of ₦7.2 billion.

These interventions deserve independent verification and a proper assessment of their results. How many schools have benefited? What condition were the facilities in before the interventions? How have the digital devices been deployed? What improvements have occurred in teaching, learning and school management? These are the questions that a serious education review should investigate.

What cannot be justified is to treat budget percentages as the entire story while giving insufficient attention to the practical interventions that have taken place.

The welfare of teachers must equally be assessed fairly. Kebbi State’s minimum wage was raised to ₦75,000, a development relevant to public-sector workers, including teachers. The administration has also pursued measures affecting teachers’ service conditions. Such policies do not automatically settle every question about salaries, recruitment, training or working conditions, but neither can they simply be ignored when evaluating the administration’s record.

If there are shortcomings in classroom infrastructure, teacher deployment, learning outcomes or budget ex*****on, let them be identified and documented. If additional reforms are necessary, let them be proposed. But a balanced assessment must acknowledge both the work undertaken and the challenges that remain.

A former teacher who becomes governor should be judged by the totality of his educational policies and their measurable outcomes, not condemned through a single line of budgetary comparison.

THE ECONOMY: FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS ARE NOT, IN THEMSELVES, EVIDENCE OF FAILURE

Taleeki next argues that Kebbi State remains excessively dependent on federal allocations, grants and borrowing, and that the government has failed to generate internally even five per cent of its projected annual budget in the years he examined.

The question of internally generated revenue is legitimate. Every state should seek to improve revenue collection, broaden its economic base, encourage investment and reduce avoidable dependence on external transfers.

However, the argument becomes unfortunately misleading when dependence on Federation Account Allocation Committee receipts is treated almost as an admission of incompetence.

Nigeria operates a federal fiscal system in which states receive statutory allocations from centrally collected revenues. These transfers are a normal and constitutionally established component of state financing. Their receipt is not a favour from the Federal Government, nor does it automatically indicate that a state government has failed.

The real question is how responsibly and productively those resources are used.

A state can receive substantial federal allocations and still fail its citizens through waste, poor planning and abandoned projects. Equally, a state can have relatively modest internally generated revenue while making meaningful investments in infrastructure, public services and human development. The distinction lies in fiscal management, expenditure quality, economic conditions and measurable outcomes.

The comparison between internally generated revenue and a state’s total projected budget also requires context. A low IGR-to-budget ratio indicates a revenue challenge, but it does not, on its own, establish that the government has failed in every other area. To reach that conclusion, one must examine revenue trends, collection efficiency, the structure of the local economy, the state’s tax base, non-tax revenues, transfers received and the measures introduced to expand economic activity.

The writer himself acknowledges that borrowing is not inherently wrong. That concession is important. Loans can be legitimate instruments of development when they are transparently obtained, responsibly managed and directed towards productive investments. What matters is the purpose of the borrowing, the terms, the repayment implications, the projects financed and the benefits delivered.

The appropriate test is therefore straightforward: What resources were available? What was spent? What assets and services were delivered? What liabilities were incurred? What benefits will citizens receive, and can the state sustain its obligations?

These questions require evidence, not rhetorical shortcuts.

Governor Nasir Idris should be held accountable for improving Kebbi’s economic foundations, but his administration should not be judged as though federal transfers are illegitimate or as though internally generated revenue is the sole indicator of governmental performance.

AGRICULTURE: FERTILISER DISTRIBUTION IS NOT THE ENTIRE AGRICULTURAL POLICY

Taleeki’s agricultural argument follows a similar pattern. He cites the reported allocation of approximately 17.8 per cent of the 2025 budget to agriculture and questions whether the spending has produced commensurate results. He then focuses on the composition of fertiliser distribution committees and suggests that the involvement of political representatives raises concerns about partisan influence.

There is a legitimate principle at stake here: agricultural support financed with public funds must be administered fairly, transparently and according to clearly defined criteria.
But allegations of possible political influence must be supported by evidence of how the programme actually operated. The presence of political officeholders on a committee does not, by itself, establish that fertiliser was distributed unfairly, that non-APC farmers were excluded or that the programme failed. Those are questions that require beneficiary records, distribution criteria, procurement documentation, field verification and evidence of actual outcomes.

If there are specific cases of diversion, favouritism or exclusion, they should be documented and investigated. If the distribution system requires reform, recommendations should be made to improve transparency and ensure that assistance reaches the right beneficiaries. What should be avoided is turning a concern about committee composition into an established finding of misconduct without demonstrating what occurred.

There is also a wider problem with reducing agricultural development to the distribution of fertiliser. Fertiliser is an important input, particularly in a state where agriculture sustains numerous households and contributes significantly to food production. Yet agricultural transformation involves much more: access to quality seeds, irrigation, mechanisation, extension services, storage, processing, rural roads, markets, credit and protection against production risks.

The government should be assessed against this broader range of responsibilities.

Kebbi’s agricultural potential is too important to be reduced to a partisan exchange over committee membership. The state has established policies that help farmers produce more, reduce post-harvest losses, connect rural communities to markets and improve the value farmers receive for their labour.

In July 2026, Channels Television reported that Kebbi commenced the distribution of 110 truckloads of fertiliser and 100 metric tonnes of improved seeds, with approximately 120,000 farmers expected to benefit. The report also identified interventions involving farm implements, subsidised tractor-hiring services and irrigation pumps.

The interventions are reaching the intended beneficiaries, the inputs arrive in time for planting, the distribution is equitable, and farmers are recording improvements in production and income.

Taleeki demands evidence of transformation. That is a reasonable standard, but it must be applied consistently. He cannot demand that the government substantiate its achievements while treating his own suspicions about political influence as though they were conclusive findings.

GOVERNANCE MUST BE MEASURED BY THE TOTALITY OF ITS RECORD

The most significant flaw in Taleeki’s article is the gap between the evidence he presents and the sweeping conclusion he reaches.

His discussion focuses principally on three sectors: education, the economy and agriculture. Yet his title pronounces the entire tenure a total failure. Where is the comprehensive assessment of infrastructure? Where is the detailed evaluation of road construction, healthcare, workers’ welfare, rural development, public infrastructure and security interventions? Where is the balanced comparison between inherited conditions, available resources, projects completed and challenges that remain?

A government does not operate through a single ministry, and its performance cannot be reduced to three selected indicators.

Under Governor Nasir Idris, Kebbi has pursued infrastructure projects intended to improve connectivity between communities and economic centres. Rural road interventions, including the Dukku–Tarasa road project, illustrate the administration’s stated effort to address longstanding transport difficulties affecting communities. Projects linking rural settlements can have consequences for access to markets, the movement of farm produce and the ability of residents to reach essential services.

Such projects should be evaluated through contract records, construction progress, completion status, engineering quality, costs and actual benefits to users. They should not be dismissed merely because a commentator has chosen to focus on another sector.

Workers’ welfare also belongs in the assessment. The administration’s ₦75,000 state minimum wage is a relevant policy measure. Its reported payments exceeding ₦10 billion towards gratuities, death benefits and outstanding entitlements, alongside a reported ₦2.11 billion disbursement benefiting 772 retirees and bereaved families, are also matters that deserve verification and consideration in any balanced appraisal of public administration.

These figures should not be accepted uncritically simply because they support the government, just as figures critical of the administration should not be accepted without examining their sources, definitions and context. The same standard of verification must apply to both sides.

That is what distinguishes a credible public assessment from an orchestrated political propaganda.

No responsible observer should claim that these interventions automatically establish that the administration has succeeded in every respect. Kebbi continues to face significant developmental challenges, and citizens are entitled to demand better services, stronger institutions and greater economic opportunities. But acknowledging challenges is not the same as declaring that nothing has been achieved.

The intellectually honest position is to examine the record sector by sector, identify successes and shortcomings, and determine whether the administration is moving the state forward. That process may produce criticism, praise or a mixture of both. What it cannot reasonably produce is a credible verdict of total failure based on an incomplete assessment.

THE POLITICS BEHIND THE VERDICT

Taleeki identifies himself as a member of the ADC Kebbi Gubernatorial Campaign Team’s strategic media and policy directorate. That affiliation does not invalidate his arguments. Political actors are entitled to criticise the government, and opposition participation is an essential feature of democratic accountability.

However, the disclosure of that affiliation makes it even more important to distinguish political advocacy from an independent, honest and credible performance audit.

A campaign team has a legitimate interest in orchestrating weaknesses in an incumbent administration and presenting an alternative political vision. But a political article should not be mistaken for a comprehensive, impartial evaluation simply because it contains percentages, budget figures and references to earlier publications.

It is naturally expected that the opposition will always shout that Governor Nasir Idris has failed. What it has unfortunately and deliberately failed to do is to demonstrate not only what it considers wrong with his administration but also what it would do differently. How would it improve education financing and learning outcomes? How would it strengthen internally generated revenue without placing an unfair burden on ordinary citizens and small businesses? How would it improve agricultural productivity, ensure transparent distribution of inputs and expand rural infrastructure? What measurable targets would it establish, and how would the public assess its performance?

These are the questions that transform opposition criticism into a credible alternative programme.

It is not enough to identify a problem. A serious political alternative must explain how it intends to solve that problem, what resources it would require, what trade-offs it would involve and how success would be measured.

The people of Kebbi deserve more than a succession of declarations that the incumbent has failed. They deserve a contest of ideas, evidence and practical solutions.

THREE MONTHS TO AN ELECTION CYCLE AND THE OPPOSITION'S FEAR OF SERIOUS DEFEAT.

The article’s reference to the proximity of another election cycle is politically significant. It invites readers to view the administration’s record through the lens of an approaching electoral contest. It also exposes the palpable fear of defeat living in the heart of the opposition, ADC.

Let me say that an approaching election does not make an allegation true, just as a political slogan does not become evidence merely through repetition.

Elections should be occasions for citizens to examine competing records and proposals. The governing party must answer questions about its performance, while the opposition must demonstrate the credibility of its criticisms and the viability of its alternatives. Neither side should expect immunity from scrutiny.

Governor Nasir Idris should not be shielded from legitimate criticism because he belongs to the APC. Equally, he should not be condemned through a sweeping verdict that overlooks relevant evidence, excludes major areas of governance or confuses shortcomings in particular sectors with total governmental collapse.

The proper question is not whether every promise has been fulfilled or whether every policy has produced the desired result. No government can credibly claim perfection. The proper question is whether the administration’s record, examined against its responsibilities, resources, commitments and measurable outcomes, justifies the conclusion being advanced.

Taleeki has presented arguments that warrant examination. He has not, through the evidence reproduced in his article, established that the entire tenure is a total failure. He has raised questions about budget priorities, revenue generation and agricultural spending, but questions are not verdicts, suspicions are not findings, and selected statistics are not a substitute for a comprehensive assessment of governance.

THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER KEBBI HAS CHALLENGES, BUT WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT IS ADDRESSING THEM

Nobody needs to pretend that Kebbi State has solved every developmental problem. The state will continue to improve on critical sectors and citizens are right to demand progress in all these areas.

However, acknowledging outstanding challenges does not require us to deny every achievement. A government may make substantial progress in infrastructure while struggling with revenue generation; it may improve school facilities while needing to strengthen learning outcomes; it may distribute agricultural inputs while still needing better systems for measuring productivity.

Taleeki and his Abuja bosses know that governance is complex, and honest evaluation must reflect that complexity. He covered the reality because he has a mission: the administration must be attacked by whatever means.

In assessing Governor Nasir Idris, therefore, the relevant questions include what conditions his administration inherited, what resources became available, what policies were introduced, what projects were delivered, what measurable changes occurred and which problems remain unresolved.

The official budget and implementation documents published by the Kebbi State Government provide a basis for examining appropriations and expenditure. Those records should be compared with project documentation, independently verified field evidence and relevant service-delivery indicators.

That approach would enable citizens to distinguish between expenditure that produced tangible benefits and expenditure that failed to deliver its intended purpose. It would also reveal where government claims require correction or further substantiation.

The public deserves that level of rigour, not an argument in which figures are selected to support one political conclusion while contrary or complicating evidence receives little attention.

AN OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN MUST OFFER MORE THAN A VERDICT

Taleeki’s political affiliation is relevant to understanding the context of his article, although it does not invalidate his right to criticise the government. The ADC and other opposition groups have every right to scrutinise Governor Nasir Idris and present alternative proposals to the people of Kebbi.

But a credible opposition must do more than catalogue perceived failures. It must explain how it would improve the situation.

If the ADC believes education financing is inadequate, what funding model would it adopt, and how would it protect spending on teachers, classrooms and learning materials? If it believes the state’s internally generated revenue is too low, what practical reforms would it introduce without imposing unreasonable burdens on citizens and small businesses? If it considers agricultural spending ineffective, what alternative programmes would it implement, how would beneficiaries be selected, and what targets would it set for productivity and farmers’ incomes?

These are not unreasonable demands. They are the minimum questions citizens should ask any political organisation seeking the responsibility of governing a state.

It is easy to write that a government has failed. It is more difficult to design a realistic programme, identify the resources required, establish measurable targets and accept responsibility for the results.

The opposition must demonstrate that it can do the latter.

THE FINAL VERDICT BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE

As Kebbi State approaches another electoral cycle, political arguments will inevitably become sharper. The APC should welcome legitimate scrutiny, respond to substantiated criticism and remain accountable for the decisions of its government. It should also communicate its record with verifiable evidence rather than assume that every policy has succeeded simply because it was announced.

At the same time, the opposition must recognise that criticism is most persuasive when it is fair, comprehensive and supported by evidence. Political ambition cannot substitute for an independent assessment, and repetition cannot turn an allegation into an established fact.

Governor Nasir Idris should be judged by his actual record, including the projects completed, the services delivered, the resources managed, the challenges encountered and the commitments yet to be fulfilled. That assessment should be open to scrutiny and should not be reduced to the political preferences of either his supporters or his opponents.

The question is not whether the administration deserves criticism. Every government does. The question is whether the criticism accurately reflects the full record and whether the proposed alternative offers a credible path forward.

Taleeki’s article raises issues worth examining, but its sweeping declaration of total failure goes beyond what the three sectors discussed can conclusively establish. A budgetary percentage cannot independently determine the quality of an education system; dependence on federal allocations cannot, on its own, establish the failure of an entire economy; and questions about fertiliser committees cannot prove that an agricultural programme has failed without evidence of its actual operation and outcomes.

Facts are stubborn things, and they must be applied consistently.

The government of Dr Nasir Idris has demonstrated its capacity by the successes it has so far recorded in various sectors. claims success,. If the opposition out of the desperation to grab power by hook or crook, alleges failure, let it substantiate the allegation.

That is how democracy becomes stronger: not through the loudest accusation, the longest article or the most confident political declaration, but through facts, accountability and a willingness to examine the evidence fairly.

Governor Nasir Idris is not entitled to an unquestioning endorsement, but neither should he be subjected to an unquestioning condemnation. His achievements must be assessed on their merits.

Ultimately, the people of Kebbi State deserve a debate that goes beyond political labels and sweeping verdicts. They deserve evidence of what has worked, honesty about what has not, and practical proposals for what must happen next.

A verdict of total failure must be demonstrated, not merely declared. Governor Nasir Idris is completely focused and committed to the continued transformation of Kebbi. No opposition can be happy or comfortable with the giant strides of the Kaura administration. No wonder that the people of Kebbi state continue to celebrate the achievements and increasing the pain in the hearts of those opposed to the progress and development of Kebbi state. No doubt, three months is so close and the people of Kebbi state will show where the belong; reality and not propaganda, Kauran Gwandu and not deceitful noise makers.

Ibrahim Abubakar Jombali
Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment and Orientation to the Executive Governor of Kebbi State