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Robust Achievements Of Shehu Kangiwa Former Governor Of Old Sokoto State

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By Engineer Aminu Gada

Alh Shehu kangiwa was the first elected governor of sokoto state holding office from October 1979 to November 1981, representing National Party of Nigeria NPN in the second republic. Shehu kangiwa’s administration was short lived but his successes by far out weighed his short term in office.

In his effort to make sokoto state centre of hospitality and attract tourism. He established Giginya five star hotels in sokoto metropolis. When Giginya Hotel was completed in 1981 it was the first of it’s kind in North western Nigeria and among the best hotels in the country. In order to develop and promote Argungu Fishing Festival and also make it attractive and colorful, kangiwa established Grand fishing hotel in Argungu town. To this date it is the only standard hotel built by any administration for the purpose of annual grand fishing Festival.

Shehu kangiwa also established Gusau Hotels to promote growing number of business in zamfara region as a result of textile industries and other agricultural products coming from bakalori dam irrigation facilities.

Shehu kangiwa recognizes the need for development of technical education in sokoto state. To this end he established and equipped four technical colleges in Runjin sambo, Durbawa, Gusau and Mafara. He also Establish four Vocational Training centers in Bunza, Ambursa, Wasagu and Tondi Yauri. It is sad to mentioned that none of these vocational training schools is functional today.

Shehu kangiwa maintains a free education policy for all sokoto state indigenes. Our Primary and secondary schools were well equipped with expatriates teaching staff in some schools. Boarding schools were full of sporting events and competitions. The state government ensures Students were given everything including uniforms to textbooks. Students were given transport fare to their various local governments during holidays.

As a Governor, kangiwa was not known for throwing money on the streets for his praise singers to pick, nor was he known for junketing around the country in chattered aircraft at the expense of state meager resources. Rather he was known for his humility, financial discipline and ability to deliver on his campaign promises

In the promotion and development of commercial activities kangiwa established sokoto investment company and sokoto cooperative bank. He also built and equipped sokoto state library with updated educational resource materials. Today both Investment company and cooperative bank are non existent, while the state library is left with outdated, archaic and dilapidated infrastructures.

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In the area of environmental sanitation and hygiene, kangiwa discourage and work to eradicate open defecation by building nineteen public toilets in sokoto metropolis. Today there is not a single public convenience in sokoto. It is therefore very common to see people defecating openly in the city centre because of the absence of public toilets.

In order to promote local industries which raw materials are directly sourced within sokoto state, and also provide jobs for the youth, kangiwa established sokoto rice mill, sokoto foam factory, Tamba Animal feeds, sokoto modern bakeries, sokoto ceramic factory and sokoto tannery.

All these companies were fully operational during the administration of shehu kangiwa. The companies were making profits and generating employment for the greater benefits of the people of sokoto state. Today none of these companies is working. They are all History.

It was shehu kangiwa who established government printing press, where exercise books were printed and distributed free for all students in the primary and secondary schools. All these achievements was recorded within two years of shehu kangiwa’s administration.

You begin to imagine what sokoto state would have became if kangiwa had spent eight years as the governor.

For the people of sokoto state the death of shehu kangiwa was a double tragedy. First we lost a governor with a plan and a political will to develop the state. Then we failed to find his replacement thirty nine years after his death.

Within twenty years of democratic rule, the old sokoto state, which comprises kebbi, sokoto and zamfara has produced ten elected governors. Four in zamfara, three in sokoto and three in kebbi state. Yet all of them could not equal the achievements of shehu kangiwa. The duo of them, brazen as they are cannot deny it. Leaving us with a situation, where one is greater than ten.

We now have charlatans in office whose greatest achievement as Elected governors, is their ability to pay civil servants their monthly salaries.

I was in in Form Two at Government college sokoto now Nagarta College in 1980, when one afternoon during our lunch time we saw our no nonsense Principal Haliru Sarki running towards the cafeteria with his cap on hand. The news quickly spread across that governor kangiwa was coming to have lunch with the students. As we fall in line to collect our meals, I noticed the Governor was standing directly behind me wearing a track suite. He collected his meal, sat with the students and eat.

That day the dining hall which use to be noisy was as quite as a grave yard, because everybody was afraid of the Principal and not the Governor.

The Principal was visibly nervous when the Governor started interacting with senior students asking them questions. Such was his style. He moves around the state freely monitoring and supervising the activities of every Ministry. The present Governor of Borno state Professor Umara Zulum is a replica of shehu kangiwa’s style of leadership.

On 17th November 1981 sokoto lost one of its finest politician during a polo game in Kaduna.

We remembered him today not only for the development he brought to bear in our dear state but also for the difference he made.

Kangiwa became a yardstick for measuring successive administration in sokoto state.

As he Continue to rest in peace the miracle of his two years administration is still here with Us.

It was late Sani Aliyu Dandawo who said it all in his song. “sokoto duk gwamnatin da an kayi. Anyi tane kawai. Ba a yi irin ta kangiwa ba. In sokoto no administration is comparable to that of kangiwa.

Engr Aminu Ganda
Writes from sokoto.

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To The Supreme Leader and Grand Commander of the Order of Kwankwasiyya Movement Nigeria.

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To:
The Supreme Leader and Grand Commander of the Order of Kwankwasiyya Movement Nigeria.
His Excellency Engr. Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
Sir,
Request for urgent Intervention
With utmost respect, I wish to draw your kind attention to the dangers and challenges before us going by the INEC position regarding the conduct of primary elections and it’s timeline schedule which is before the Court having made an appeal. It’s being said “a stich in time saves all”, like you rightly did while we were in ADC, your Excellency your foresight made it possible for us to jump the trap set before us using court judgment that may render our political effort and power struggle worthless. I wish you can reflect as soon as possible and intervene in my constituency too, DAWAKIN KUDU/ WARAWA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, in the same manner. This suggestion is timely and necessary hence the reason I’m writing formally.
If you may recall, out of respect I purposely visited you in person just to bid you farewell while leaving for pilgrimage and after exchanging pleasantries and good wishes you as well requested for my prayers. Being someone who fully believe in what you stand for Sir, I ensure I did that very well both in specific times and terms. I would have prefer other means of reaching out to you not for the time factor.
Your Excellency, everything that happens so fast require careful review unlike something that was well planned for a very long time. For more than a decade, we built the Kwankwasiyya political structure and equally ensure we maintained it’s grassroot competitiveness across despite all the earlier hurdles encountered. This structure was tested at several electoral polls and has proven intact through out. For example, we produce a Member by defeated an incumbent one, Hon Mustapha Bala Dawaki, who was then holding one of the most powerful committee (appropriation) at the House of Representatives in the previous election. Now for someone out of desperation to push us away and reap it up under your watch seems something very unusual. It’s for thesame reason I really anticipate very well from the very day Gawuna defected to Kwankwasiyya that by your principle he must wait a little more in the presence of people like H.E Comrade Abdussalam, who did excellently well to preserve and protect the Kwankwasiyya movement structure and share the ideology. Sir, we are really in support of all your informed decision. It is surprising to see what changed so fast in my absence barely less than a week at my constituency while I was away performing the spiritual obligation. While it truly excites us to always welcome more people to the Kwankwasiyya movement especially when influencial figures are involved, however, chances to belittle those is the system needs to be protected at all cost to serve as a motivation factor. Having additional people like Mustapha Bala coming back home is a welcome development. I personally
don’t have any problem with his nomination Sir, but I do have a serious concern about its legal eligibility based on the present development regarding INEC’s appeal in similar judgement. I will not like a situation whereby we will lose election to opposition just for being reckless by the party leadership and the Local government Kwankwasiyya leader who seemed determined to play it rough and throw us in the bus. Without any contradiction Sir, I wish to observe the following:
1. The very day Mustapha Bala decamped to NDC from the APC, corresponds to Monday 24th May on which Justice James Omotosho made a judgement declaration while delivering a ruling in a similar suit filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against INEC in the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/720/2026
2. Recall that earlier Justice Mohammed Umar, in the judgement delivered in suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/517/2026 filed by the Youth Party, ruled that INEC lacked the statutory powers to fix or prescribe the timeframe within which political parties must conduct primaries for nomination of candidates for the 2027 general elections. Following the judgement, political parties effectively have up till September 2026, to submit updated membership registers and make changes to party membership records ahead of the 2027 polls.
3. However, on May 25, INEC filed a notice of appeal challenging the judgement and also sought a stay of execution pending the determination of the appeal. INEC maintained that the lower court erred in holding that it lacked powers to impose timelines for political parties to conduct primaries ahead of the 2027 elections. INEC further faulted the trial court’s interpretation of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, and urged the appellate court to strike out the suit and overturn the judgement.
As a way forward Sir, as discussed within the LG Caucus meeting it will be good if you consider 1. Nominating someone within the candidates earlier brought before you only who are capable and loyal, especially for the upcoming June 20 rerun election as it has nothing to do with 2027 INECs general election timeline and schedule.
2. Thesame candidate made can be maintained as a dummy candidate for the 2027 pending the outcome of appelate court’s judgment. Now that there exist INECs stay of execution order pending the determination of the appeal, it implies that opposition or INEC may work against the nomination process of Mustapha Bala (which we must avoid) challenging it’s eligibility as he was in APC as at the deadline given by INEC (10th May, 2026) and has equally evidently participated in the APCs primary elections and lost.
3. More so, it’s an opportunity to develop and project candidates from Warawa LG going by the need to comply with zoning arrangement as it was done at the NDC Presidential nomination in the interest of fairness and Equity in line with the Kwankwasiyya ideology of making someone out no one. Warawa has only served 4years against Dawakin Kudu’s 24 years in this 4th republic. It balance itself if Warawa and Dawakin Kudu were given the chance to participate, one in the upcoming rerun and the other in the 2027 general election
Thank you

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Engr. Ismail Abdu Madari wrote from Masjid Al Haram and can be reached at
madaarie@gmail.com

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DSP Barau, HE Garo and HE Gwarzo Stand Together: Who Stands Aloof?

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By Abba Anwar

In Kano, not in any other place, as I am writing these paragraphs within the context of Kano politics, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is set to benefit from the coming together of the three political heavyweights of Kano North politics. Their political influence, goes beyond their zone. You can easily find their touches across the entire 44 local government areas of the state.

These are His Excellency the Deputy Senate President, who also doubles as the First Deputy Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Barau I Jibrin, PhD, CFR, His Excellency the current Deputy Governor, Murtala Sule Garo and His Excellency former Deputy Governor and former Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Eng. Abdullahi T. M. Gwarzo.

These gentlemen didn’t attain this political pedigree with such influence and domineering effect, in one day or by accident. They toiled, planned and designed the positions. They are one of the very few, yes very few, politicians within APC, whose dominance and presence are felt across the length and breadth of the state. They go beyond their primary constituencies of Kabo (Jibrin’s and Garo’s), Gwarzo (T. Gwarzo’s) and Kano North, as their Senatorial District.

When you take any of them, they have their contacts and connections in Kano Central and Kano South. I am talking of raw electorate, genuine voters and supporters. Not mere political heads, genuine and/or fake. Coincidentally, all the three gentlemen are reserved, quiet, strategic and not noise makers.

I always say of Garo, he can pick his phone and call his genuine supporter in far away, Baburi, of Tudunwada local government. And not necessarily, Barista Sabi’u Baburi, an outstanding and highly determined youth politician from that end.

Senator Jibrin was hitherto a member of House of Representatives, from Tarauni federal constituency, in Kano Central. When he became Senator representing Kano North, he did many things as a good ambassador of his people and to party leaders, from his zone. He also touched the lives of many people, including those from Kano Central and Kano South. His outreach goes further when he became Deputy Senate President. Appointments around his office are not limited to Kano North. So also other federal appointments he facilitated for other people.

Eng Gwarzo was Deputy Governor, under one of the welfarist administrations in the state, the administration of Senator Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Sardaunan Kano. Before then, he was the Kano State Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kano Branch. When he was the Chairman of Gwarzo local government. With these two outstanding positions he held, he has his contacts and connections too, across all the 44 local government areas.

None of these gentlemen, is either a local operator or a noisemaker without substance when it comes to election time. They are all visible outside the reach of their local governments and their Senatorial Districts. All of them are kings in their own right. No doubt about this.

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All of them mentored right thinking people in their political life. Some of such mentees are not even from their local areas of Kabo and Gwarzo. Let me give an example of few individuals whom I see as responsive and responsible mentees under the tutelage of these tripartite icons. Either under long, medium or short term mentoring process.

Under Jibrin, I can remember Dr Hafizu Liman, Abdullahi Karkasara, Fa’izu Alfindiki, among others. For HE Garo, I can still remember people like Comrade Magaji Kabiru Gulu, Coordinator, Kano First Students Movement, Musaddique Wada Waziri, Deputy Youth Leader, Kano APC, Barista Sabi’u Baburi, among others. While under HE Gwarzo, I can remember, Alhaji Yawale, some pockets of state legislators when he was Deputy Governor, among others.

I was moved when His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf led the reconciliation effort between DSP Barau and HE Gwarzo, in the race of Senatorial seat for Kano North. Yes other efforts were also helpful in this respect. But the Governor, the way I see it, is the Reconciliator-General, if I may use the term.

I was excited also when I heard that DSP visited Gwarzo in his Abuja residence. That spoke volumes of how peaceful and responsible the two of them are. At Gwarzo’s residence, as DSP posted on his Facebook page, he, the DSP, spoke his mind very openly and said, “Our discussion centred on the development of Kano North, Kano State, and the country as a whole.

With the unity currently prevailing within our party, Insha Allah, All Progressives Congress (APC), the largest political party in Africa will emerge victorious at all levels in the 2027 elections: the Presidency, National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly elections.”

His Excellency, DSP, acknowledged that, “As always, the unity and progress of our party, as well as the development of our community, state, and country, remain our top priorities.” This, he said without any doubt. No one also doubts the purity of his mind when he said that.

Is just as I always say, APC has more committed and purely genuine leaders from Kano North than from other two zones of Kano Central and Kano South. They always have the party in their hearts. They believe, all hands must be on deck for the progress of the party. And God so Kind, those of them who have genuine, real and committed supporters and loyalists, are, these three, Jibrin, Garo and Gwarzo. They believe that action is better than noise. They are naturally quite and quintessential.

Their faith in coming together to work tirelessly for the victory and survival of the party, in the forthcoming election, is not only commendable, but inspiring. Internal cohesion, is but the main thrust of APC. It was formed as a united opposition front to unseat the then government at all levels. A mission accomplished.

So any move below this effort, is a total negation of the main cardinal principles of the party. As well as planting seed of destruction from within the party, the APC.

Let me call the attention of all APC leaders, eders and other relevant stakeholders, especially those who were there before Governor Yusuf joined the party, that, it could be disastrous and too embarrassing to think that, political interest can only be safeguarded and massaged, when discordant tunes are promoted and amplified. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG!

Governor Yusuf aside, greatest assets for APC in Kano, whose mutual understanding is needed the most, are Jibrin, Garo and Gwarzo. Though they all come from Kano North, but I argued earlier, that, Kano North is the stronghold of APC. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT!

I am from Kano Central. Yes from Dala local government. But I know that, when you are looking for NOISEMAKING OF EMPTY DRUMS, FAKE LOYALTY, NON-RESULT PACKAGING AND BELOW PERFORMANCE AT ELECTION TIME, COME TO KANO CENTRAL AND KANO SOUTH.

So the ball is now in the court of His Excellency, Governor Yusuf, to rejig, redirect, re-engineer, re-focus and re-design democratic gains for his people, through modern political practice in his party, APC. As 2027 is fast approaching, substantive percentage of the victory of the party, is within the reach of the Governor. To make or mar.

Anwar writes from Kano
Saturday, 23rd May, 2026

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Why Kano North Affirms Commitment and Hope To DSP Barau

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By Abba Anwar

Kano First Agenda, in itself, as one of the recently added slogans in the political lexicon in Kano, plays an important role in the affirmation of His Excellency, the Deputy Senate President, Barau I Jibrin, PhD, CFR, to run again for Senate, come 2027 general election.

Primarily, DSP’s interventions across all the 13 local governments under his constituency, Kano North and beyond, informed the unwavering support he enjoys from his people. His people saw reason and wisdom in giving him another chance to go back to Senate again. Meaning more progress, growth and development for the area.

As they believe in his total commitment and promising achievements, people from his constituency, Kano North, irrespective of their party affiliation, stand firm in consolidating their effort towards his planned victory, come 2027. They put their weight behind him and they plan strategies to achieve that. Without any compromise, at whatever cost.

From the comments I heard from people who attended the affirmation event that took place at the Secretariat of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bichi, DSP Barau is not only a supporting wall, he is an institution. He is reliable, dependable and commendable. Being an institution, he represents various interests towards the development of his constituency, Kano State and the country in general.

His fulfilled interventions that come on board in various forms, provide more corridors for structured citizens engagement, more skilful and informed fronts and strategies. Creative in his conception, apt in his action plan and promising in his implementation procedure.

The gathering during the affirmation event for the DSP speaks a lot in ruling out the argument, whether Kano North needs political dialysis or not. If APC is in political intensive care unit (icu) in some zones in Kano, the situation in Kano North, shows different picture. Entirely different. Kano North, can best be described as APC engine room in Kano.

Let me, limit my discussion to DSP alone, in this piece, since the entire write-up is meant for him. His contributions that are rightly structured according to sub-sectors, are carefully managed and prominently engaging. His legacy is seen all over. Go and make an enquiry and see his golden hands in that sector. His scholarship scheme and programmes he initiated are all over.

The same thing applies to other areas like, human development through empowerment, interventions in sports development, grants to party and non-party members and his indelible mark in the transportation system in Kano North.

In the area of security, His Excellency Jibrin has no match at all. Search on your own, go to search engines and see his contributions. His intervention in this area is not only overwhelming, is self-assuring and self-fulfilling. One like no other. A highly respected legislator, an orator and a disciplined political leader.

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When APC in Kano South is tearing up, if not because of the quick response of His Excellency, the Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, APC in Kano North, is gaining more ground, making victory around forthcoming elections inevitable. But for Kano Central, there exists a unifying factor, in person of the former Governor, Sardaunan Kano, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.

What is more fascinating during the affirmation event, was, in the presence of all, when the Deputy Governor, His Excellency Murtala Sule Garo, raised up the hand of DSP Barau, symbolically requesting people to re-elect him again for the position. Yes he represented his Boss, the Governor, but his face showed total and absolute commitment of his action. The support was coming from the depth of his heart. Kano North political leaders, within APC, are more supportive and reliable than other zones, of Kano Central and Kano South. This, has been my position for long.

To tell my readers how DSP was moved by his affirmation, few hours after the programme, he posted on his Facebook page that, “I am deeply impressed by the peaceful and orderly manner in which the affirmation exercise was conducted at the APC headquarters in Bichi Local Government Area, in the presence of thousands of party members drawn from the 13 local government areas of Kano North Senatorial District.”

The echo filled the air when party members were asked whether they still belive in the DSP’s return to the Senate, as acknowledged by the DSP himself, according to him, as a subject matter, “When the Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee for the Kano North Senatorial Primary Election, Hon. Shehu Isa Direba, asked party members to affirm my candidature, the venue erupted with a unanimous chorus of “Yes,” reflecting the unity and commitment of our members.”

As praises and commendations sound musical to our ears and his, Senator Jibrin urged that, “Let us come out en masse to vote for APC candidates at all levels in the 2027 general elections. By doing so, we will consolidate the gains of good governance and continue to enjoy the developmental projects and benefits being delivered by the federal, state, and local governments.”

Impressed by the presence of the Deputy Governor, Garo, DSP said in his expression of satisfaction, “The Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Murtala Sule Garo, expressed optimism that the people of Kano North and Kano State at large would overwhelmingly vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Abba, me, and all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.”

Let me congratulate Kano North again, that Senator Jibrin vows to bring to the fore, more development to his area. As he puts it that, “I sincerely thank our party members for renewing their confidence in me through their overwhelming support. I assure them of my continued commitment to effective representation and service to our people.”

As an ardent supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, DSP did not relent in stressing that, “I therefore urge our people not to waver in their support for President Tinubu and the APC. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted by baseless criticisms and unnecessary political noise.”

Let me suggest to the national leadership of the APC that, since the party is now put together, through reconciliation, alliances of interests, within its fold and outside, deeper and proper understanding of party politics and internal cohesion among leaders, the National Chairman and other members of the National Working Committee, should go and rest. So long as the tempo will remain so, then victory is inevitable, with the Divine Help of our Creator.

Anwar writes from Kano
Wednesday, 20th May, 2026

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