Tension brews in Niger as deputy governor shuns Workers Day celebration

Fresh speculations of a rift between Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, surfaced on Thursday after the deputy governor was conspicuously absent from this year’s Workers Day celebration in Minna, the state capital.

Garba, a former chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Niger State, has consistently participated in the annual Workers Day event. His unexpected absence this year created widespread curiosity and fueled rumors of a growing strain in his relationship with Governor Bago.

Unlike previous celebrations where the governor and his deputy stood side by side in solidarity with workers, this year’s event only had Governor Bago and Senator Sani Musa, who represents Niger East senatorial district, in attendance.

Sources close to the administration gave conflicting accounts, with some suggesting that the deputy governor was simply out of town. Others hinted that his absence might have been a calculated decision to avoid worsening what insiders described as an already tense atmosphere between the two top officials.

As of press time, neither the deputy governor’s office nor the government house had issued an official explanation for his absence, further deepening public curiosity and political speculation.