Lawal Daura’s Political Fantasy: A Record of Failure and the Folly of Governor Ambitions in Katsina State
By Khaleed Yazeed
The recent buzz surrounding Lawal Daura’s ambition to contest for the governorship of Katsina State deserves more than casual commentary,it demands a critical examination of his record, his political pedigree, and the implications of allowing a history of mismanagement and failure to dictate the future of a state struggling for meaningful progress.
Lawal Daura is no stranger to national controversy. As the former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) under President Muhammadu Buhari, Daura’s tenure was marred by inefficiency, partisanship, and a glaring lack of strategic vision. Security crises escalated on his watch, from banditry and kidnapping to persistent communal conflicts in Northern Nigeria, while the DSS, the very agency mandated to provide protection, often appeared reactive rather than proactive. Citizens were left to fend for themselves, and the state apparatus under Daura failed repeatedly to anticipate, prevent, or neutralize threats.
It is instructive to note that during Buhari’s administration, where Daura held immense power, key state institutions weakened under neglect or political interference. Reports of human rights abuses, politically motivated arrests, and interference in the independence of security operations were routine. Ordinary Nigerians felt the brunt of these failures: insecurity soared, livelihoods were disrupted, and public trust in national institutions eroded. In short, Daura’s record is one of enabling failure while basking in the protection of title and office, not in delivering tangible results.
Now, with aspirations to govern Katsina State, Daura seeks to translate a national record of inefficiency into local leadership. This is not ambition, it is audacity. How can a man whose tenure coincided with the worsening of Nigeria’s security situation, whose leadership was synonymous with crisis rather than resolution, credibly claim to deliver governance at the state level? Katsina, like much of the North, requires leaders with vision, empathy, and practical solutions, not nostalgia for power or the desire to cash in on political prestige.
Moreover, Daura’s candidacy raises serious questions about political morality and accountability. Citizens who endured insecurity and institutional decay under his watch should not be expected to forget. Ambition, when unmoored from competence and achievement, becomes dangerous. It is not enough to wear the mantle of influence, leadership demands demonstrated capacity, integrity, and commitment to citizen welfare.
Katsina State is at a crossroads. Its people need leaders who understand governance beyond bureaucracy and patronage, who recognize the link between policy and tangible outcomes, and who can tackle unemployment, education gaps, and infrastructural decay. Lawal Daura represents a continuity of failure dressed as experience, a past littered with missed opportunities and political theatrics, not reform. His gubernatorial ambitions should not be viewed as progress, but as a warning: a reminder that positions of power are not rewards for loyalty or ambition, they are responsibilities that require competence.
Lawal Daura’s attempt to ascend to the governorship is less a reflection of his capacity and more a display of political bravado. Katsina cannot afford to be governed by someone whose record at the national level has already exposed the consequences of mismanagement. The citizens deserve more than ambition, they deserve accountability, proven leadership, and a vision for development that transcends personal legacy.
The question is simple: should a man who failed to secure Nigeria under Buhari’s watch now be trusted to secure the future of Katsina State? History already offers the answer.
By Khaleed Yazeed, Political Analyst and Advocate for Northern Progress
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