Jigawa APC Divided Over Alleged N135bn Debt

A new conflict has broken out within the All Progressives Congress in Jigawa State as two factions trade accusations over claims that Governor Umar Namadi’s administration piled up about N135 billion in debt in 2025.

The dispute began after a former aide posted figures online suggesting the state had taken loans far beyond what was projected in the budget.

The claims came from Zakari Sidi Kafin-Hausa, a former Senior Special Assistant on Health Monitoring, who wrote on Facebook that Jigawa had accumulated more than N134 billion in loans this year. He added that the total included an earlier loan of over N40 billion, insisting the debt level now surpasses the state’s borrowing plan for 2025.

His post warned that ignoring the issue could create deeper problems later, accusing some political actors of trying to downplay the matter for personal gain. His comment quickly sparked debate among APC members and widened the divide between the two factions.

The state government rejected the allegation, with the Governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, Umar Suleiman Kafin-Hausa, calling the claims false and aimed at misleading the public. He said the state did not secure any fresh loan from Zenith Bank and clarified that the approval from the House of Assembly was not a loan but a process to access Jigawa’s share of federal gas revenue.

He explained that the funds are expected to be paid in full by the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that the arrangement simply allows the state to receive the money earlier without creating new debt. He added that states such as Kaduna, Ekiti, and Niger had used similar financial structures to access their gas revenue allocations.

The clash has deepened internal tension in the Jigawa APC, with supporters on both sides engaging in heated arguments online as the debate over the alleged debt continues.