Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

A political analyst, Dr Auwalu Anwar, has called on Nigerians to draw lessons from the ideological foundation of the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

KANO FOCUS reports that Dr Anwar made the call on Saturday at a lecture organised to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the founding of NEPU at the Mambayya House, Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Bayero University, Kano.

The lecture, titled “Kwadayi Mabudin Wahala: Waiwaye a Kan Aqidun NEPU da Darussa don Zaben 2027” (Political Greed: Revisiting NEPU’s Ideology and Lessons for the 2027 Elections), examined the political conditions that led to the formation of NEPU in 1950 and their relevance to contemporary Nigerian politics.

He said understanding the circumstances surrounding the emergence of the party and its ideological orientation was essential to understanding the challenges confronting Nigeria’s democracy.

Dr Anwar said political ideology represented a set of convictions about how society should be governed and the principles required to address social problems and protect the dignity and freedom of citizens.

Dr Auwalu Anwar

According to him, religion, culture, education, gender, environment, occupation, governance structures, history and prevailing social conditions all contribute to the development of political ideology.

Colonial rule and emergence of NEPU

Dr Anwar said before the formation of NEPU, the political and administrative system in Northern Nigeria was largely controlled through an alliance between the British colonial authorities and traditional rulers.

He described the arrangement as a system in which the colonial government exercised control through the traditional institutions, with the emirs playing significant roles in maintaining law and order, taxation, justice, security and economic administration.

He said the situation created resentment among sections of the population and contributed to the emergence of political movements seeking greater freedom and participation in governance.

According to him, the political awakening eventually led to the formation of organisations such as the Northern Elements Progressive Association (NEPA/JANA) in 1947 by Abdurrahman Bida, Raji Abdallah, Aminu Kano and Sa’adu Zungur.

He said the group was established to educate people about political issues but was subsequently dissolved after the colonial authorities became concerned about its activities.

Dr Anwar also recalled the formation of the Northern Teachers Association by Aminu Kano in 1948 and its subsequent confrontation with authorities over allegations of political activities.

How NEPU was formed

He said NEPU was formally established on August 8, 1950, when eight young men met at Bello Ijumu’s residence in Sabon Gari, Kano, to establish a political party committed to justice and equality.

The eight founders, he said, were Malam Abba Maikwaru, Mr Bello Ijumu, Alhaji Mudi Sipikin, Alhaji Magaji Dambatta, Alhaji Baballiya Manaja, Alhaji Musa Kaula, Alhaji Abdulqadir Na Adamu Danjaji and Alhaji Garba Bida.

Alhaji Abba Maikwaru and Mr Bello Ijumu were elected chairman and secretary respectively.

Dr Anwar said the party’s initial objectives included educating ordinary people about their rights, mobilising them to demand freedom of expression and association, challenging oppressive political structures and working towards self-government.

The party also promoted truth, justice, hard work, education, cooperation and commitment to religious values.

He said Malam Aminu Kano resigned his government job on November 4, 1950, to openly participate in NEPU activities as a full-time politician.

At its first national conference in Kano in April 1951, NEPU adopted what became known as the Sawaba Declaration, which criticised the existing political and traditional power structures and called for the liberation of ordinary people from oppression.

Dr Anwar said Aminu Kano’s election as national leader of NEPU at its 1953 conference in Bida further strengthened the party and cemented his association with its political ideology.

Islamic teachings influenced NEPU ideology

The lecturer said Islamic teachings played an important role in shaping the ideological foundations of NEPU.

He cited Qur’anic injunctions calling on believers to promote good and prevent wrongdoing, as well as the famous hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad instructing Muslims to oppose wrongdoing according to their capacity.

Dr Anwar said these teachings influenced the commitment of NEPU supporters to justice, freedom and resistance to oppression.

He also cited poems by NEPU-associated poets, including Gambo Hawaja Jos and Sa’adu Zungur, as evidence of the movement’s commitment to social justice and its criticism of economic exploitation and oppressive governance.

According to him, Zungur’s poems documented the numerous taxes, levies, fines and other burdens imposed on ordinary people during the period.

Democracy requires five conditions

Dr Anwar argued that genuine democracy could not exist without five fundamental conditions.

He listed them as an independent judiciary, a legislature committed to public interests, an accountable government, an independent electoral commission and respect for the constitution.

“If these five pillars are firmly established, the conditions for genuine democracy will be strengthened,” he said.

He, however, questioned whether Nigeria’s political system currently satisfied those conditions.

Dr Anwar said a review of NEPU’s ideological principles raised serious questions about whether the country’s current political environment could genuinely be described as democratic.

He also questioned whether Nigeria had an adequate framework for ensuring credible elections in 2027 and preventing political parties from manipulating internal processes to determine candidates.

Today’s parties lack clear ideology

Dr Anwar said Nigeria’s contemporary political parties were largely characterised by weak ideological commitments.

He traced some of the problems to the military interventions that disrupted the First Republic and restricted the development of political parties based on clearly defined ideologies.

He noted that the return to civilian rule in 1979 produced parties such as the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), which he described as a successor in ideology to NEPU, and the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which he said retained some characteristics associated with the Northern People’s Congress (NPC).

He said the military governments that followed also interfered with the development of political parties, citing the creation of the NRC and SDP under Ibrahim Babangida and five political parties under Sani Abacha.

According to him, the transition to civilian rule in 1999 further produced the AD, APP and PDP, but political parties have since struggled to develop strong ideological identities.

He said this had resulted in parties frequently appearing to differ more in name and personnel than in their fundamental political objectives.

APC, opposition parties have similar interests

Dr Anwar criticised both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties, arguing that there was insufficient ideological distinction between them.

He said political parties had increasingly been associated with internal authoritarianism, manipulation, vote-buying, political scheming, betrayal of supporters and the pursuit of personal wealth.

“Political parties are platforms for displaying the interests and aspirations of their members,” he said, arguing that parties claiming to represent ordinary Nigerians should demonstrate clear commitment to those interests.

He also criticised opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for failing to unite around a coherent alternative political programme.

He said the struggle to defeat the ruling party appeared, in many cases, to be driven more by the desire to gain political power than by a clearly defined programme for national transformation.

Call for issue-based voting in 2027

Dr Anwar urged Nigerians not to vote solely on the basis of party affiliation in the 2027 elections.

He advised voters to scrutinise individual candidates at every level and assess their integrity, competence, experience and commitment to public service.

“Every party has its share of oppressors, deceivers and corrupt individuals at different levels of leadership and representation,” he said.

He therefore urged voters to examine candidates individually rather than automatically supporting or rejecting an entire political party.

According to him, blindly voting for candidates simply because they belong to a particular party could lead to widespread regret.

“The Nigerian voter must use the wisdom given to him by God to carefully examine the candidates presented by political parties at every level and choose the one he considers more trustworthy and honourable,” he said.

He concluded by quoting Sa’adu Zungur, warning that ignoring the truth could ultimately lead to regret.

“If the ear hears, the body survives,” he said.

Chairman of the 9th NEPU-Day Lecture, Dr Bala Muhammad of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, also highlighted the historical significance of the movement in his remarks.

Dr Bala Muhammad

He stressed the importance of preserving NEPU’s legacy and drawing relevant lessons from its history for the future of Nigeria’s democracy.

The annual lecture is organised to provide a platform for scholars, activists and members of the public to reflect on the movement’s historical contributions and examine contemporary political and socio-economic issues affecting the country.

The lecture formed part of activities marking the 76th anniversary of NEPU, which was founded in 1950 and became associated with campaigns for social justice, political participation and the empowerment of ordinary people in Northern Nigeria.