By SUNDAY DARE

It was another journey to Kaduna by President Bola Tinubu. It was one to demonstrate the depth of friendship and showcase the value of commitment to the ties that bind. Kaduna, once the undisputed epicentre of northern Nigeria?s politics, still retains its aura as the crucible of power and influence in the region. More than a city, Kaduna is the spiritual and intellectual home of the north ? a melting pot where history, politics, and culture intersect.

Kaduna houses the famous Arewa House, the intellectual sanctuary dedicated to the study and preservation of northern Nigeria?s history. It was here that the foundations of northern political consciousness were forged. From 1917 until 1967, Kaduna served as the capital of the old Northern Region, the administrative heartbeat of half of Nigeria. Abuja may be the seat of federal power now, but Kaduna was once the furnace from which national leadership was moulded.

This is the city that birthed the famed Kaduna Mafia ? a loose but powerful network of northern technocrats, politicians, military brass and businessmen who quietly shaped policy and leadership recruitment in Nigeria, while also defending northern interests across decades.

Kaduna is also the city of the Sardauna, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and his contemporaries: Ali Akilu, Hassan Katsina, R. B. Dikko, and later, the erudite historian Bala Usman. It is the spiritual base of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the political launch pad of late President Muhammadu Buhari, whose reach across the north ? and indeed Nigeria ? was unmatched in modern times.

Time and again, Kaduna has been the place to which the north retreats to recalibrate and relaunch ? whether during the military era when key decisions were hatched in smoky rooms, or in the democratic dispensation when alignments and re-alignments found their root. From crises resolved within its walls to alliances born in its corridors, Kaduna?s pedigree as the lodestar of northern politics remains unchallenged.

It was into this charged political environment, months after opponents had fanned narratives of hostility to him, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu chose to walk boldly. Whispers of ?a no-go area? hung in the air: the opposition had spread a conspiratorial message that the north ?hated? Tinubu and the APC support base would abandon him in future elections. But the President, true to his character, came unafraid ? carrying with him the fruits of loyalty to old friendships and the evidence of sound policies beginning to touch lives.

Breaking Myths In Few Hours

In less than five hours, long-held myths dissolved, stereotypes shattered, and sentiments shifted. From the streets to the mosques, the connection between the people and their President was instant. The excitement was palpable, their smiles wide, their chants loud. Kaduna ? once whispered as hostile terrain ? showed love, loyalty, and warmth.

President Tinubu moved with aplomb, from a wedding ceremony to a condolence visit, demonstrating not only his respect for tradition but also his personal touch as a leader. In both joy and sorrow, he stood with the people, embodying the compassion and humility expected of true statesmanship. Kaduna felt it; Nigeria saw it.

Politics Without Bitterness

Perhaps the most symbolic moment came inside the Sultan Bello Mosque. There, political giants from across the spectrum gathered ? from PDP to Labour, from ADC to APC stalwarts. Among them was former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, a long-time critic and one of Tinubu?s fiercest opponents. Only weeks earlier, Lamido had falsely accused Tinubu of supporting the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election ? an accusation that was without basis.

Yet when Lamido approached, President Tinubu did not recoil, nor offer a cold shoulder. Instead, he welcomed him with an expansive smile and hearty laughter. Their exchange was brief, warm, and telling. For many inside that mosque, it was a masterclass in citizen diplomacy, showing that politics can be practiced without bitterness.

It was also deeply symbolic: Lamido himself had once served as National Secretary in then Senator Tinubu?s days of the Social Democratic Party. The President?s gesture of camaraderie sent a powerful signal. Leadership, he showed, is not about grudges but about building bridges.

The effect was immediate. The politicians present, hardened veterans of the northern firmament, saw a President secure in his mandate and magnanimous in his dealings. It was a subtle but strong reminder: Tinubu is President for all Nigerians, not just for his supporters.

The Power of Friendship and Loyalty:

The visit was crowned by an emotional stop at the home of the late President Muhammadu Buhari. After a befitting burial in Daura and a special FEC session in his honour, Tinubu?s journey to Kaduna to console Buhari?s widow and family underscored one of his defining traits: loyalty.

He did not go alone. The Kaduna State Governor led the way, flanked by governors from Ondo, Kwara, Niger, Sokoto, and four former governors of Zamfara. Senate Deputy President Barau and Senate Majority Leader Bamidele were also present. It was a show of solidarity that cut across regions and political lines ? a testament to the respect Buhari commanded, and the loyalty Tinubu preserves.

Kaduna as Metaphor For Northern Political Sophistication:

Kaduna?s history has always been one of sophistication, strategy, and symbolism. The city?s political pedigree is unmatched; its corridors steeped in the legacies of giants. President Tinubu?s visit tapped into this heritage ? not as an outsider, but as a leader with cosmopolitan support, bridging divides, disarming critics, and reaffirming friendships.

The lesson from Kaduna is clear: Nigerian politics, at its best, is about maturity, tolerance, and loyalty. It is about recalibration, not recrimination, unity, not division. And in Kaduna, the north delivered a resounding message ? that behind President Tinubu stands not just a mandate, but a coalition rooted in history, friendship, and shared destiny.

Kaduna has come of age once more. And in its rebirth, it offered Nigeria a glimpse of the leadership the times demand and the promise of the backing of one of the most sophisticated political blocks on the continent.

?Dare is the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communication

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