By: UMAR ALIYU
In a political era where Nigerians are growing increasingly conscious of their rights, expectations, and standards of representation, Gombe North has found itself grappling with an embarrassing reality one that has now become difficult to ignore, impossible to justify, and too shameful to sweep under the carpet.
After nearly three years in office, Distinguished Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo once trusted with the collective aspiration of Gombe North has chosen to present what can only be described as a disgraceful token: the distribution of ₦5.2 million naira to the entire five local governments he is representing.
A gesture so small, so humiliating, and so politically tone-deaf that it has ignited outrage across the senatorial district.
This is the grand sum a sitting senator proudly disbursed across an entire senatorial district after almost three years in office. A senator with national exposure, political experience, administrative background, and a mandate freely given by his people. A senator who should be thinking in billions of naira, not in petty handouts that degrade the dignity of the very electorate he promised to uplift.
There is no sophistication here. No strategy. No developmental thinking. Just a disgrace coated in the language of empowerment.
The First-Timer Excuse: A Crutch for Failure
Whenever questions of performance arise, a predictable defence emerges: “He is a first-timer.”
But this excuse collapses instantly when tested against reality.
The Senate is filled with first-timers who are outperforming expectations across the country. But one example towers above all Senator Natasha Akpoti. She is not only new to the Senate but also contending in a male-dominated political sphere. Yet, she has become a beacon of impactful representation.
Her projects, constituency interventions, and even personal gestures such as gifting her six aides substantial support on her birthday tell a powerful story: that being a first-timer is not a handicap. It is only an excuse for those who lack the will, the vision, or the seriousness to deliver.
If Senator Natasha can accomplish so much within months, then why is Senator Dankwambo an experienced former governor struggling to do even the bare minimum? The contrast reveals a painful truth:
Dankwambo is not failing because he is a first-timer.
He is failing because he has chosen the path of convenient underperformance.
When a Free Mandate Turns Into a Free Fall
Perhaps the most heartbreaking element of this political tragedy is that Gombe North gave him its mandate without hesitation. He did not struggle. He did not battle for survival. The people believed in him. They believed his intellect, network, and experience would translate into transformative representation.
But what did they receive?
Not a single major infrastructure project.
No flagship empowerment initiative.
No legislative footprint with lasting value.
No bold, creative, or visionary interventions.
No youth development programs, ICT hubs, skill centres, or serious economic initiatives.
Instead, they received ₦5.2 million naira tokenism a political insult that speaks louder than any explanation his team can offer.
The people handed him trust.
He handed them humiliation.
A Senator Thinking Like a Councillor
At this stage of national development, a senator should not be thinking like a ward councillor. A senator must be a strategist one who can attract federal presence, leverage national networks, secure constituency projects, and influence developmental policies. But Gombe North has been relegated to the level of petty handouts.
This is not empowerment.
This is not representation.
This is charity politics, the kind handed out by those who have nothing meaningful to offer.
The truth remains: even local associations and religious groups conduct more meaningful interventions than what we have seen from our senator.
The People Are Watching and Waiting
As quiet as it may seem, the public pulse is unmistakable. In markets, on the streets, in mosques and gatherings, the disappointment is loud. Gombe North is politically mature. The people are not blind. They are not forgetful. They are not foolish.
The message is travelling fast:
2027 will not be business as usual.
The polling unit will be the final court.
And the verdict will be delivered early and clearly.
By 11:00 am, the story will be written, and the future will be decided.
No amount of token-sharing.
No last-minute theatrics.
No late-night propaganda.
No hurried empowerment gestures will undo the growing political consciousness of the people.
Gombe North Deserves Better—and Will Demand Better.
This column is not motivated by anger. It is motivated by clarity.
By responsibility.
By the unwavering belief that Gombe North deserves representation befitting its dignity.
This zone is home to intelligent youths, dynamic communities, and a long-standing tradition of political relevance. It deserves a senator who understands that leadership is an engine of progress not a platform for distributing poverty-level stipends.
Gombe North needs infrastructure.
It needs strategic investment.
It needs innovative programs.
It needs someone who sees the big picture.
Not someone who throws coins at the people and calls it empowerment.
History Will Judge
One day, when the political dust settles, history will look back on this moment. And the records will be clear:
That at a time when other senators were commissioning projects, ours was distributing ₦5.2 million to entire five local government he represents.
That at a time when other first-timers were redefining leadership, ours was hiding behind excuses.
That at a time when Gombe North needed a visionary, it got a token-giver.
But history will also record something else the awakening of the people.
An awakening that will find expression at the ballot box.
An awakening that will restore dignity to Gombe North.
An awakening that will finally say: Enough.
Because Gombe North is not a dumping ground.
Not a playground.
Not a charity ward.
It is a region that knows its value—and will soon reclaim its political pride.
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