By Abdulsalami Ibrahim Agadasawa
As I surfed TV Channels on the morning of 29th May, I happened to switch to Arise TV’s Morning Show in time for a live interview with Dr Usman Bugaje, a grandmaster of meta politics in Nigeria. In his new incarnation, Bugaje set about criticizing not only the APC government, but also the PDP, as well as the SDP and vagrant politicians in search of a new platform. Northern politicians were not spared either, in a discussion that was geared to be about a supposed tendency of “the North” to oppose southern presidents.
Watching Bugaje’s attempt to discredit all practitioners that were not prepared or willing to recognize him as an all-knowing Juris Consult who should lead and others should follow reminded me of British comedy troupe Monty Python’s 1979 movie/period drama _Life of Brian_. Cast in the first century Roman period, the movie parodies political movements in opposition to Roman rule such as the Judean Peoples Front, Judean *Popular* Peoples Front, Peoples Front of Judea and- get this- the Popular Front of Judea- Splitter Group. The numerous groups would gather in an outdoor roman style arena sitting at safe distances from each other to converse and plot. The interesting thing was that the the Popular Front of Judea- Splitter Group consisted of one man sitting alone; he simply could not get along with anyone who would not see things his way and recognize him as leader. This reminded me of Usman Bugaje.
Beginning his political career in the 80s as a member of late Shehu Yar’adua’s Peoples Front (PF), Bugaje was a disciple who followed the group when it metamorphosed into the SDP with other tendencies such as the Peoples Solidarity Party (PSP). With Yar’adua’s unfortunate demise and the return to partisan politics in 1999, Usman Bugaje latched on to Atiku Abubakar to become his Special Assistant as Vice President. He hitched a ride on Atiku to run for a House of Representatives seat from Katsina under the PDP before crossing over the the ACN for a dismal outing as a governorship candidate. He has been aggrieved ever since, employing all types of sentiments in attempts to remain relevant. Having studied in Sudan, he cast himself as an Islamic leader at some point, striving in vain to whip up sentiments and recruit unwary followers. He relaunched himself as a Northern champion during the Johnathan years, riding off of the back of onetime Minister Dr Kabiru Chafe’s Arewa Research & Development Project (ARDP) to market what he touted as a political blueprint for solving the region’s problems to Governors.
More recently, Usman Bugaje attempted to capitalize on the Unconstitutional Change of Government in Niger by speaking against Nigeria and in favour of the General Abdourahmane Tchiani
led junta. He went as far as to visit the coup leader in Niamey in March 2024 and returned to give an exposé to Daily Trust newspaper, assuring them that former President Bazzoum was soon going to be released from captivity. We are still waiting. The whole purpose of his seditious escapades appears to have been to whip up sentiments in Northern Nigeria against the Nigerian government in the hope that it would kindle a flame of crossborder rage that would place allegiance to cultural area over patriotism and national interest. It proved to be a damp squib.
Now that all his attempts at creating a followership and relevance through cross carpeting, religion and regionalism have failed, Bugaje has resorted to becoming a Lone Ranger member of the Popular Front of Judea- Splitter Group. A leader with no followers. A political manque. In the words of John Maxwell, he who thinks he leads, but has no followers is taking a walk.”
Abdulsalami Ibrahim Agadasawa wrote from Atlanta GA, USA.
