By Ayomide Otitoju
high-level coalition meeting aimed at uniting prominent Northern political figures was briefly thrown into disarray on Sunday, following a heated dispute over state representation at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
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The meeting, convened by the National Political Consultative Group (North), brought together key national figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi. However, proceedings were temporarily halted after delegates from Jigawa State protested the nomination of their representative.
Tensions escalated when Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced a delegate to speak on behalf of Jigawa State. The announcement was met with immediate resistance as Jigawa delegates stormed the stage, barring the nominee from speaking and insisting they would not accept representation without consensus.
Efforts to calm the situation took several minutes, eventually leading to a compromise. Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, along with another nominee, was accepted by the group to represent the state.
The disruption underscores the fragile dynamics and internal complexities involved in building a unified northern political coalition. While calm was eventually restored and the meeting continued, the incident revealed potential fissures within the bloc that could affect its long-term cohesion and strategy.
The National Political Consultative Group (North) has been working to foster collaboration among northern leaders ahead of future national elections, but Sunday’s events highlighted the challenges of representation, consensus-building, and political alignment within such a diverse assembly.
