ABUJA — There are currently two Nigerias. One is the air-conditioned world of Abuja’s political elite, where strategies are being drawn to “scatter” opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections. The other is the blood-stained soil of Sokoto State, where rural villagers are being “scattered” by the bullets of bandits.
This week, these two realities collided as the nation watched a viral video of political maneuvering while simultaneously receiving news of a devastating midnight raid in Goronyo.
The Abuja Plot: “Fight Them, Scatter Them”
The political firestorm began with a leaked video involving a top official and Representative Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In the footage, the official was heard advising Abejide to stay within the fractured ADC rather than defecting, specifically urging him to “Fight them. Scatter them!”
The goal, analysts say, is a “divide and conquer” strategy. By keeping a loyalist at the heart of the opposition, the administration can manage the internal wars of its rivals from a distance. While this tactical brilliance is praised in the corridors of power, critics argue it shows a government more focused on 2027 survival than 2026 security.
Adding to this political heat, activist Asari Dokubo has publicly vowed to crush the 2027 ambitions of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the NNPP leader. Dokubo, often seen as a beneficiary of presidential support, promised to be at the “forefront” of a campaign to ensure Kwankwaso is “disappointed” in the next election.
The Gorau Massacre: A Pattern of Failure
As the political elite focused on dismantling parties, bandits were dismantling lives in Gorau, a community in the Goronyo Local Government Area.
On the night of April 20, 2026, armed groups launched a coordinated and violent assault on the village—the ancestral home of lawmaker Bashir Usman Gorau. The attackers moved with speed, killing residents and abducting dozens of others, including women and children, before disappearing into the forest.
This is not an isolated event. Over the last three weeks, Sokoto has faced a relentless wave of violence:
- Wurno LGA: Nine people were kidnapped in a midnight raid on the Chacho community.
- Sabon Birni LGA: Five people were killed and 22 abducted in a single day.
- Isa LGA: Bandits kidnapped six people in an early morning raid on Gazau village.
Where is the Protection?
The tragedy in Gorau highlights a massive security gap. Despite official claims of “progress,” rural communities remain dangerously exposed. Security presence is thin across the long stretches of land that connect these villages to forest hideouts, leaving response times delayed and residents helpless.
“How do armed groups still move like this?” asked one resident after the Gorau attack. “They coordinate, they enter, they kill, and they leave. While they are planning attacks, the people in Abuja are planning elections.”
The Growing Divide
The contrast is impossible to ignore. The energy, coordination, and resources being spent to manage the internal dynamics of the ADC and the NNPP seem to far outweigh the efforts to secure the forests of the Northwest.
Opposition groups have hit back hard. The ADC Support Group described the “scatter” remarks as “troubling,” accusing the government of micromanaging political disputes while failing at its primary duty: protecting lives.
As the road to 2027 gets busier, the people of Gorau are left with a simple, painful question: Will the government focus on winning the next election, or on winning the war for their survival?
