Al-Makura Sparks Outrage with “Cleaner” Comment in APC Chairmanship Bid

By John Paul

Billionaire former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, may have stirred a national uproar after declaring on national television that he is ready to clean President Bola Tinubu’s desk every Monday morning — if that’s what it takes to become national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The startling remark, made during an interview on Trust TV, has triggered widespread criticism and raised questions about the independence of party leadership under the Tinubu presidency, with many Nigerians expressing concern over what they see as an extreme display of personal loyalty in the pursuit of political power.

“If Mr. President, as the leader of this country, tells me, ‘Al-Makura, I want you to come to my office and dust my table every Monday,’ that is what pleases me, that is what I feel will make the party and this country progress,” Al-Makura said in the now-viral interview.

“I can assure you that I will make it a date, that every Monday at that appointed time, I will come, dust the table, and go. I will be satisfied that I have done what the President wants. That is the level of my commitment and loyalty to a leader.”

Al-Makura, a prominent figure in the North Central geopolitical zone — where zoning discussions for the APC chairmanship are currently focused — has long positioned himself as a loyal party stalwart. But his latest remarks have been criticised as subservient, inappropriate, and potentially damaging to the integrity of internal party democracy.

Known for his vast business empire and political clout, Al-Makura is the founder of Ta’al Group, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, hospitality, and machinery. He is currently constructing “The Wave,” a luxury five-star hotel in Abuja, and owns the Ta’al Conference Hotel in Lafia, Nasarawa State. His estimated net worth stands at over $290 million.

Born in 1952 in Lafia, Al-Makura is a member of the Gwandara ethnic group. He received his early education in Nasarawa and Akwa Ibom, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. After a brief stint at the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria, he ventured into private enterprise in 1978 with the founding of Almakura Nigeria Limited.

Politically, Al-Makura has had a long and varied career. He was the youth leader of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the old Plateau State in 1980, and a member of the 1988–89 Constituent Assembly. He later served as Plateau State secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the early 1990s and was a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa.

After losing the PDP governorship primary in 2011, he defected to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), under which he won the Nasarawa governorship, defeating incumbent Aliyu Akwe-Doma of the PDP. With the merger that formed the APC in 2013, Al-Makura became one of the party’s most prominent North Central leaders, later serving as a senator.

While his loyalty to the APC and to President Tinubu is undisputed, critics argue that his “desk-cleaning” comments undermine both the principle of democratic governance and the dignity of party leadership. Observers say the remarks portray a troubling dynamic in which political office is seen as a personal favour granted by the President, rather than the result of fair internal democratic processes.

Said a party chieftain who would rather not be named, “At a time when the APC is under growing pressure to reform, reconnect with disillusioned members, and project internal independence, Al-Makura’s comments may do more harm than good to his bid for the top party office.”

The presidency has not commented on the remarks, and the APC is yet to formally announce the zoning framework for its next national convention.