Governor Lawal: When performance speaks louder than political noise

Political criticism is essential to the smooth functioning of democracy, a fact that Governor Dauda Lawal, a political science graduate, undoubtedly understands. He also understands that the ultimate purpose of government is to serve the people, and not to satisfy the expectations of political stakeholders, who want the scarce public resources for themselves and cronies. Against this background, the recent agitation by some politicians over his administration’s approach to governance should hardly have come as a surprise to close watchers of Zamfara State. For decades, political relationships in the state have been shaped by expectations of patronage. Lawal’s apparent determination to depart from that established pattern was therefore bound to generate resistance. 

Governor Lawal’s measured response at the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ engagement is instructive. His proposed remedy—to publish contract beneficiaries, the projects awarded and the amounts involved—is significant. If implemented, it would enable the people and other critical stakeholders to know who got what contract, at how much and whether the projects were executed according to specification. With this there would be no hiding place for those “chop and clean mouth” politicians who out of mischief attempted to pitch Governor Lawal against the people.

While Governor Lawal firmly rejected the claim that party members have been ignored and acknowledged a shortcoming in strategic communication, he raised a fundamental question: should governance be driven by the personal expectations of political stakeholders or by what the government delivers to the wider population? Should party members not be more concerned about the performance of their elected officials than about what they have personally received? Should the question not be, “What has Zamfara State gained from our party?” rather than, “What have I personally gained?”

Political parties exist to win elections and implement policies that improve the lives of the people, not to serve as platforms for distributing contracts, appointments and other personal benefits among their members. No doubt, competent and committed party loyalists deserve recognition for their sacrifices and legitimate opportunities to participate in governance, but their contributions should reflect a sense of civic responsibility rather than an expectation of personal reward. The true measure of a party’s success in government is its ability to translate its electoral mandate into tangible improvements in people’s lives. Roads built, schools rehabilitated, hospitals equipped, security strengthened and economic opportunities created are the dividends that justify the trust citizens place in a political party. When these benefits extend beyond party lines to the wider population, governance becomes an instrument of collective progress rather than an exercise in political patronage.

This is the fundamental distinction that political stakeholders must understand. Their loyalty should be measured not simply by what they have personally gained from the government, but by what the government has achieved under the mandate they helped secure. A party member who demands a contract but ignores the construction of roads in his community, or who complains about exclusion while public schools and healthcare facilities are being reconstructed, risks losing sight of the larger purpose of political participation. 

When Governor Dauda Lawal assumed office on May 29, 2023, Zamfara State faced real challenges that went far beyond what he had imagined. The administration inherited unpaid examination fees that prevented thousands of students from participating in the 2023 WAEC examination, billions of naira in outstanding WAEC and NECO exams liabilities, pension arrears accumulated over several years, salary backlogs and other issues that affected the smooth running of the state. His administration settled more than ₦3.2 billion in examination debts, and pension and gratuity liabilities that ran into billions of naira. These were problems that adversely affected children whose educational futures were held hostage by the unpaid fees, pensioners who had waited in vain for their entitlements and workers who depended on their salaries to sustain their families. The government also inherited the challenge of insecurity, deteriorating infrastructure and weakened public service.It was against this background that Lawal declared a state of emergency in education and launched his Rescue Mission, with a promise to rebuild the state, and restore public confidence in governance.

Since taking office, Governor Lawal’s administration has undertaken concrete interventions to address Zamfara State’s inherited challenges. More than 500 schools have been renovated and equipped, while the declaration of a state of emergency in healthcare paved the way for the rehabilitation and equipping of general hospitals across all 14 Local Government Areas. A major milestone was reached in June 2025 with the commissioning of the remodelled Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, equipped with functional MRI and CT scan facilities.

Infrastructure and education provide further evidence of the administration’s priorities. In July 2024, the government approved the reconstruction of the 108-kilometre Magami–Dansadau road at approximately ₦81.19 billion to Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company as the lowest responsive bidder following due process. The road is vital to connecting farming communities to the markets. Meanwhile, an ₦11.7 billion initiative under the World Bank-supported AGILE programme seeks to improve access, retention and completion rates for adolescent girls in public schools. These interventions, alongside investments in agriculture, workers’ welfare and revenue reforms, reflect an administration prioritising public investment. Its 2025 budget allocated approximately 72 per cent of expenditure to capital projects. Although insecurity and other inherited problems remain unresolved, these measures demonstrate a determined effort to address longstanding challenges through tangible projects and targeted interventions.

The challenges confronting Governor Dauda Lawal may well be one of the underlying reasons Zamfara State, like many other states in Nigeria, has struggled to achieve the level of development its people deserve. An entrenched feature of Nigeria’s political culture is the entitlement mentality of some party members, who regard political power as an investment from which they must recoup returns, rather than a public trust to be exercised in the collective interest. This transactional approach to politics encourages patronage, distorts public spending priorities and places personal interests above the welfare of the people. In such an environment, some party members expect political loyalty to be rewarded with contracts and appointments, regardless of competence or the broader public interest. 

What has made the difference in Zamfara State is Governor Dauda Lawal’s strength of character, resolve and commitment to delivering good governance. Leadership demands the courage to show the way, even when doing so comes at a political cost. Leaders must not allow the fear of electoral defeat to prevent them from taking difficult but necessary decisions in the public interest.

Evidence from the Lawal administration shows that he has not shut the door against party members or denied them opportunities to participate in governance.Rather, he has drawn a line between legitimate political inclusion and the entitlement to public contracts, regardless of competence or capacity. When it comes to major infrastructure projects, the public interest must take precedence, which explains the administration’s decision to entrust critical projects to reputable companies capable of delivering to the required standards. How would Governor Lawal have delivered the world-class Gusau International Airport, undertaken major road projects and constructed the hospitals if he had allowed political pressure and the fear of offending influential party members to dictate his decisions? Sometimes, the difference between a leader who transforms a state and one who merely manages its problems lies in the courage to stand firm when the right decisions are politically inconvenient.

Across Nigeria, abandoned public projects running into trillions of naira illustrate the consequences of awarding contracts to politically connected companies that lack the capacity to execute them. The problem also extends beyond contract awards to public appointments, where political loyalty sometimes takes precedence over competence, leaving critical institutions in the hands of people ill-equipped to deliver results. When loyalty to political patrons becomes the principal qualification for public office or access to public contracts, the consequences are borne by ordinary people.

The scale of the problem is not merely a matter of public perception. BudgIT’s Tracka project-tracking report, published in February 2026, examined 2,760 federally funded projects across 28 states. It found that 471 projects were not executed, 99 had been abandoned, and 92 projects worth ₦15.07 billion were classified as fraudulently delivered. Separately, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has documented public assets diverted for personal use. Ultimately, patronage may reward a few politically connected individuals, but it is the public that pays the price.

The Rescue Mission represents a deliberate attempt to break with the practices of the past by placing public investment and service delivery at the centre of governance. The state’s budgetary priorities offer one measure of this commitment. In 2024, the government signed a ₦426.56 billion budget into law, with ₦308.2 billion, representing approximately 73 per cent, allocated to capital expenditure covering critical sectors such as security, education, agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure. The 2025 budget sustained this emphasis, allocating ₦393.33 billion, or approximately 72 per cent, to capital projects. Taken together, these figures indicate a consistent policy direction: prioritising investments intended to improve public infrastructure and the quality of life of citizens over the expansion of recurrent administrative spending. 

The security challenges confronting Zamfara State must also be understood within Nigeria’s constitutional framework. Although governors are popularly regarded as the chief security officers of their states, they have no direct operational command over the armed forces, which remain under the control of the Federal Government. This often leaves governors in the position of glorified Chief Security Officers, held accountable for security outcomes without controlling the principal forces responsible for combating terrorism.

Governor Lawal has not used these limitations as an excuse. His administration established the Community Protection Guards, invested in operational vehicles and security equipment, and strengthened collaboration with federal security agencies. These interventions demonstrate a commitment to confronting the crisis within the limits of his authority.

The persistence of insecurity does not mean Governor Lawal has not given the fight his all. The people of Zamfara deserve security, and achieving it requires both sustained state-level initiatives and a more effective, coordinated response from the Federal Government.

The debate over Governor Dauda Lawal’s Rescue Mission should not be reduced to how many party members have secured contracts, appointments or other personal benefits. The most important question is whether Zamfara State is moving forward and whether public resources have translated into better schools, functional hospitals, improved roads and greater opportunities for its people. The answer is a big yes. Governor Lawal has shown that his responsibility is to govern in the public interest, and not to surrender state resources to party members. The success of the Rescue Mission will ultimately be determined not by how many political interests it satisfies, but by the lasting improvements it delivers to the lives of the people of Zamfara State.

… Ibrahim writes from Gusau, Zamfara State