The Humanitarian Times

By Abdulkareem Haruna
Borno State possesses remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. Regardless of the severity of a controversy or the depth of a conflict, the home of peace  consistently demonstrates a unique ability to emerge not only restored, but more unified and resilient than before. And this applies to many things including (most especially) its politics.

While most Nigerian politicians let their egos cause division, Borno’s leaders would rather stay united because they are willing to put aside their personal goals for the sake of their party, their government and their state.” At the heart of this enduring stability stands a man whose name has become synonymous with strategic patience and unyielding party loyalty: Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, SAN.
As the recent controversy surrounding the 2027 APC governorship ticket gradually simmered down with the emergence of Engineer Mustapha Gubio as the party’s torchbearer,  another chapter in Borno’s unique political history unfolds.
While news headlines often focus on the victors, the true story of this transition lies in the grace of those who stepped aside. Kaka Shehu Lawan’s decision to prioritize the unity of the party over personal aspiration is not just a political maneuver; it is yet another masterclass in the acts of statesmanship.
A Legacy of Self-Sacrifice: From 2019 to 2027
To understand the depth of Kaka Shehu’s recent decision, one must look back long into history to the pivotal year of 2019. In 2012, while Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan was serving as the Special Adviser on Justice to then-Governor Kashim Shettima, a remarkable incident occurred that defined his character.
During a meeting with a senior politician from Southern Borno, Governor Shettima decided to gift the elder a vehicle as a gesture of respect. Looking for an immediate solution, the Governor turned to Lawan and directed him to hand over his personal car—a pristine, newly acquired Peugeot 406—to the elder on the spot.
Without a moment’s hesitation or a hint of protest, Lawan stepped toward the vehicle, retrieved his legal files, and handed the keys to the politician. That evening, Lawan—left without his only means of transportation—had to hitch a ride home.
While it was understood that the Governor would eventually provide a replacement, the significance of the act lay in Lawan’s immediate compliance. It wasn’t merely a display of personal loyalty to Shettima, but a profound commitment to party harmony and elder statesman recognition. He sacrificed his own comfort to ensure the administration’s political bridge-building remained seamless.

Fast forward to 2018.
At that time, Borno stood at a crossroads. The search for a successor to the then-Governor Kashim Shettima (now Vice President) was intense. Kaka Shehu, a formidable legal mind and a grassroots mobilizer with a deep-seated connection to the people, was a frontrunner. Yet, when the internal mechanisms of the party signaled a preference for a consensus that led to the emergence of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, Kaka Shehu Lawan did not hesitate.
He didn’t just “step down”; he stepped up.
He understood that a fractured primary would lead to a fractured government – a luxury a state battling insurgency could not afford. By withdrawing his bid in 2019, he paved the way for the incredible“Zulum Era,” – a period of unprecedented reconstruction and developmental zeal.
KS Lawan’s loyalty was not merely verbal. He transitioned seamlessly from a potential candidate to a foot soldier, leading the 2019 campaign trail of Zulum-Kadafur with a vigor that suggested he was running for the office himself. When the victory was secured, he served with clinical efficiency and fierce loyalty as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. In that role, he was the legal architect of the administration’s reforms, ensuring that the state’s recovery was built on a solid foundation of law and order.
Fast forward to 2026.
History, it seems, has a way of repeating its tests of character. As the 2027 election cycle approached, the clamor for Kaka Shehu Lawan – now a distinguished Senator representing Borno Central and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria – to take the mantle was deafening. His supporters, spread across the twenty-seven Local Government Areas, saw in him the natural successor: a man of intellect, experience, and proven administrative prowess.
However, politics, they say,  is the art of the possible and the science of the collective. When the party’s leadership and stakeholders arrived at the choice of yet another gentle man, Engineer Mustapha Gubio, a wave of disappointment naturally swept through the ranks of Senator Lawan’s loyalists. In many other states, this would have been the spark for a full-blown internal crisis, legal battles, and the eventual defection of key actors.
But Kaka Shehu Lawan is cut from a different cloth. He once again accepted the fate that befalls his political ambition.
Standing before his supporters, KS Lawan demonstrated a high sense of patience and tolerance that has become his hallmark. He didn’t just ask for calm; he commanded it through his own composure. He publicly spoke to his supporters, urging them to accept the party’s decision as an act of fate. In a move that silenced critics and unified the party, he described Engineer Gubio not as a rival, but as a “good man who also has Borno at heart.”

“It is God alone who grants power to whom He wills. Consequently, I will not accept any misconduct against our party carried out in my name. We stand as one family under the leadership of our preeminent leader, His Excellency Vice President Kashim Shettima,” he said while addressing crowd in his Maiduguri home
The Architect of Party Unity
Senator Lawan’s steadfastness is rooted in a philosophy that the party is greater than the individual, and the state is greater than the party. His love for the APC is not blind; it is purposeful. He recognizes that the progress witnessed in Borno under the leadership of Vice President Kashim Shettima and Governor Zulum was only possible because of the internal cohesion of the ruling party.
By backing Gubio, Kaka Shehu has effectively immunized the Borno APC against the “poison of division” that often weakens ruling parties during transition periods. He has shown that a leader’s worth is measured not by the offices he holds, but by the chaos he prevents. His actions teaches us to learn that the development of Borno requires a relay race where the baton is passed with precision, not a wrestling match where the baton is broken.
Supporting a Good Man
The expected transition from Professor Babagana Zulum to Engineer Mustapha Gubio represents a continuation of  developmental excellence that has defined Borno’s recent history. By lending his weight to Gubio’s candidacy, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan is providing more than just an endorsement; he is providing a guarantee of continuity.
To those who worry about the upcoming elections, Senator Lawan’s message is clear: the mission remains the same. Whether as an Attorney General, a Senator, or a party elder, his commitment to the Borno Project remains unshakable. He has pledged his full support to ensure that Engineer Gubio does not only win the election but succeeds in office.

The True Meaning of Loyalty
Kaka Shehu Lawan, SAN, has taught us that true loyalty is most visible when it is difficult. It is easy to be loyal when you are the beneficiary of a decision; it is a mark of greatness to remain loyal when you are the one making the sacrifice.
As Borno prepares for the 2027 elections, the state can move forward with confidence, knowing that its political foundation is held together by men of character like Ka’Shehu. He has chosen to be the bridge rather than the barrier, the peace-maker rather than the protagonist of conflict.
In the annals of Borno’s history, Kaka Shehu Lawan SAN will be remembered not just for the laws he drafted or the motions he moved in the Senate, but for the moments he stood down so that his state could stand tall. Through his support for Engineer Mustapha Gubio, he has ensured that the path toward a greater Borno remains clear, stable, and full of promise. God bless the Senior Advocate of Nigeria.