Nigeria, April 6 -- The unfolding political rivalry in Nasarawa State between former governor Tanko Al-Makura and incumbent Abdullahi Sule is no longer just a local power tussle-it is fast becoming a liability for the broader fortunes of the APC, particularly the electoral strength of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the state. Sen Almakura's quest to jettison the zoning formula that promotes peaceful coexistence is creating division among stakeholders. He has taken his divisive rhetoric a notch higher by mobilizing internal divisions by championing internal conflicts.

At the heart of the issue is a familiar but dangerous pattern: the inability of political heavyweights to reconcile legacy influence with present authority. Al-Makura, the former Gov...