In Zamfara State, Nigeria, Governor Dauda Lawal has encountered stiff resistance from an old political order that sees government resources as spoils to be shared among party members. This mindset has led to a system where party loyalty is prioritized over competence in appointments and contracts. Lawal's decision to balance competence with political considerations and award major projects to reputable construction companies has brought him into conflict with this old order.
The problem of treating government resources as spoils is not unique to Zamfara State or Nigeria. In the United States, Senator William L Marcy of New York defended the "spoils system" in 1832, arguing that the winning party's supporters were entitled to government positions and benefits. In Nigeria, this patronage logic has led to a system where party members feel entitled to government contracts and appointments, regardless of their technical or financial capacity.
Governor Lawal came into office determined to change this entrenched system in Zamfara State, which has little to show for its potential despite being three decades old. He presented a 2026 budget that prioritized capital spending, allocating ₦714 billion, or 83%, for capital projects, and ₦147 billion, or 17%, for recurrent spending. This marked a significant shift from previous budgets, where recurrent spending was always well-funded, while capital spending was starved.
Lawal's attempts to reverse the old ways of doing things have naturally unsettled those accustomed to the old arrangement. The sense of entitlement among politicians is deeply entrenched, and there was a time when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was derisively described as "People Dividing the Pepper", a crude expression of the perception that political power was primarily about sharing state resources among party members.
At an APC stakeholders' meeting, Governor Lawal addressed allegations surrounding contracts, patronage, and empowerment. He rejected the narrative that political stakeholders had been deliberately excluded from government opportunities, stating that several party stakeholders and prominent political figures had been awarded contracts and had benefited from various government programs.
Lawal acknowledged that his administration had not publicly disclosed the details of contract awards, including the beneficiaries, projects, and sums involved. He accepted that this had given false claims room to spread and announced that the government would henceforth publish the names of contract beneficiaries, the projects awarded, the contractors executing them, and the sums involved.
The stakeholders' engagement has moved the argument beyond political accusations to a more fundamental question: what should public resources be used for? Governor Lawal challenged the definition of empowerment as cash handouts, personal favors, or opportunities for a few individuals to share public resources, arguing in favor of a broader vision of empowerment that includes infrastructure development and security funding.
Key points
- Governor Lawal's administration has faced resistance from old-guard politicians over efforts to reform government contracts and appointments in Zamfara State.
- The governor has prioritized capital spending in the 2026 budget, allocating 83% for capital projects.
- Lawal has announced plans to publish details of contract awards to increase transparency and accountability.
