A massive sea of supporters brought the ancient city of Bida to a standstill on Sunday evening as Mallam Idris Usman Makanta, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship aspirant for Niger State, returned home after officially submitting his nomination form.
The overwhelming reception, which turned a routine 30-minute commute into a four-hour gridlock, marked a dramatic resurgence for the politician following his previous bid for the state’s top office.
Basking in the glow of the mammoth crowd, Makanta dismissed concerns that his ongoing court case with the state government will derail his campaign, declaring that facing legal battles is common for Nigerian politicians.
Makanta while fielding questions from journalists in Bida said he does not believe that his previous detention and active arraignment by the state government would be weaponized against his candidacy.
“The court will decide that. There are two courts on earth: the court of God and the court of human beings, and they will both decide accordingly,” Makanta said. “It’s a case, and several people are in court. Governors are in court, the EFCC has been in court, and there are still governors.”
The aspirant revealed that he had previously retired from partisan politics and left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) due to what he described as systemic mismanagement.
“I had formerly resigned from partisan politics, considering that many things being done are mixed with insincerity, incoherences, and reckless expenditure of public resources. I felt I couldn’t be part of that type of mess.”
Makanta maintained that he was pressured back into the race by community stakeholders, claiming anonymous backers purchased his nomination form.
Addressing key state issues, Makanta criticized the handling of regional security and public utilities. On insecurity, he attributed the crisis to economic injustice and the political exploitation of idle youths.
“Governors anywhere that allow idle minds and use youth as catalysts for their personal interests, they are not far away from being insecure,” he stated.
On Water scarcity, he blamed the ongoing water crises in Minna and Bida on failed distribution infrastructure rather than resource scarcity, promising to engage professional consultants to overhaul the state’s pipe reticulation networks.
