What Is Nasko Up to?

The only ‘Nasko’ most Nigerians knew was Nasko wafers (a type of soft biscuit). 

But, in the build-up to the 2015 general elections in Nigeria, Nigerians; particularly those in Niger state, began to hear of a human Nasko. He was Umar Nasko. Umar Nasko is a son to Retired Major General Muhammad Gado Nasko who ruled Sokoto state as a military administrator from 1978 to 1979 and was FCT Minister from 1989 to 1993.

Prior to the election season of 2015, Nasko was the commissioner of Transport and Infrastructural Development; he was also the Chief of Staff Government House all under the administration of Muazu Babangida Aliyu.

Being a loyalist, Nasko was picked to replace Muazu Babangida Aliyu as the governor of Niger state. In the twinkle of an eye, the campaign posters of Nasko were all over the place across the biggest state in Nigeria. Nasko had virtually everything in his favour until tales began to emerge. Nasko was described as a drug user and a hardened adulterer, allegations even his supporters were reluctant to deny.

The people of Niger state; still being very religious, instantaneously developed strong aversion and apathy for Nasko fearing that his victory will spell doom for the future of Islam in the state. 

Nasko lost the election by a large margin to Abubakr Sani Bello who got 593,702 votes with Nasko getting 239,772.

In July of 2017, Umar Nasko declared that he was not going to run for the governorship of Niger state in 2019. In a statement titled: “My Position on the 2019 Elections”, Nasko said his foundation, the Umar Nasko Foundation, is meant to touch the lives of people and not to start any campaign.

In May 2017 however, Umar Nasko and his former boss, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, were summoned to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges bothering on the misappropriation of N4.5 billion. 

The pair was remanded in Minna Medium Security Prison, the bail conditions for Aliyu included N150 million and a surety with property valued at N200 million, while Nasko was granted bail of N100 million and a surety with landed property worth N150 million. 

On 22^nd January 2018, another round of corruption charges was leveled against Umar Nasko and his former boss Muazu Babangida Aliyu. The duo were slapped with 8 count charges of abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of N2 billion. This case is still yet to be decided in court.

In recent months, a new trend is seemingly becoming the latest fashion. Dozens of vehicles (especially tricycles) are now seen branded with pictures of Umar Nasko in a way that shows approval. It is like a silent campaign waiting to explode at the ‘right time’. Most interesting of this trend are pictures of Nasko spotting a religious looking beard. In the pictures of Nasko on his campaign posters of 2015, he had no beard. 

Some people have been asking, ‘has Umar Nasko become a religious person now?’ Another question has been, ‘Is this just the usual religious politics of northern Nigeria?’

Whatever be the case, Nasko’s popularity seems to be building and is assisted by the alleged ‘gross under-performance’ of the incumbent Abu Lolo (Abubakar Sani Bello).

Will the pictures of nasko get Nigerlites on his side? 

The answer to that question greatly depends on three factors:

• The court verdict on the corruption charges against him from his days in government.
• His ability to allay the fears of Muslim Nigerlites by convincing them that he is neither a drug user nor a pathological adulterer who wants to institutionalize these traits and
• His ability to convince Nigerlites that he does not subscribe to the secularization agenda of Muazu Babangida Aliyu which was coupled with gross mismanagement of public funds.