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<p>By Saleh Maidoki</p><div class="ASfXB3B6" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>As the political atmosphere in Kano gradually begins to shift toward 2027, all indications suggest that the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has his eyes set on the governorship seat. But the question remains: Is he truly ready for this monumental battle?</p>
<p>At face value, Barau holds a strategic national office and commands influence as number two in the senate. Yet, beneath the title lies a troubling reality: his performance both at the national and constituency levels in the last two years has left more questions than answers.</p>
<p>Unlike his previous tenures when he was relatively active in delivering constituency projects, Barau’s current tenure has been dominated by distractions. Since assuming office as Deputy Senate President, his focus has tilted more toward national assignments, with little to show for Kano North or Kano State at large. The gap between expectations and delivery is widening.</p><div class="zvWbRHR9" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>Two years into this tenure, Barau has not championed or executed mega projects in his constituency. Compare this to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whose visible projects in Akwa Ibom remind everyone of his leadership. In contrast, Barau’s office looks effective only on paper, but in practice, Kano has little to point to.</p>
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<p>When pressed about his achievements, his supporters point to the creation of the North-West Development Commission, the sponsorship of 70 students abroad, the establishment of Kabo Federal University, and other scholarship programs. While commendable, are these enough?</p>
<p>When the North-West Development Commission (NWDC) was signed into law, Senator Barau was widely celebrated as its chief architect. He took much of the credit for the initiative, and many in the region hailed it as a milestone that would finally address the developmental challenges of the North-West. However, more than a year later, the commission remains inactive with no program and no visible interventions. This stands in sharp contrast to other regional development commissions, especially those in the South, which are fully operational and delivering benefits to their people. For many in the North-West, the silence around the commission raises suspicions: Is this a deliberate effort to sabotage the region’s development, especially under an administration widely seen as favouring the South? If urgent steps are not taken to operationalize the NWDC, what was once celebrated as a triumph may soon be remembered as another unfulfilled promise of Senator Barau.</p>
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<p>One of the most ambitious efforts credited to him is the N2.79 billion Barau Initiative For Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN). Designed to restore the region’s reputation as Nigeria’s food basket, the program targeted 558 young farmers across 186 local government areas in seven Northwest states, each to receive N5 million interest-free loans for maize and rice cultivation. Implemented through the Barau I Jibrin Foundation in partnership with a national financial institution, BIARN promised to revolutionize food production, empower youth, and ease food costs.</p>
<p>On paper, it was a brilliant intervention with the potential to transform agriculture in the region.</p>
<p>Yet, the reality is far less inspiring, and the program has failed to take off in any meaningful way. This year’s rainy season is almost over, but farmers are yet to benefit. For a region where agriculture is not just a livelihood but the backbone of the economy, the delay is both shameful and disastrous. BIARN, which could have been Senator Barau’s strongest selling point, now stands as a glaring example of lofty promises undone by poor execution.</p>
<p>Barau’s political strategy is another Achilles’ heel. Surrounded by inexperienced and self-serving allies, he appears isolated from grassroots realities. Many of the federal appointments he facilitated went to individuals with little political relevance, alienating his core supporters.</p>
<p>The Bagwai/Shanono and Ghari/Tsanyawa by-elections were nothing short of a political embarrassment, not only for Senator Barau but also for Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who is regarded as the face and leader of the APC in Kano and beyond. The poor outing laid bare Barau’s vulnerability while simultaneously denting Ganduje’s reputation as the rallying point of the party in the zone.</p>
<p>With tensions deepening among APC leaders in Kano North, the alignment of political heavyweights like former Deputy Governor and ex-Minister A.T.M. Gwarzo, Murtala Garo, and Abba Bichi against Senator Barau, he may find himself cornered and politically diminished.</p>
<p>Adding salt to injury, Barau’s approach to decampees from Kwankwasiyya reeks of political theatrics rather than strategy. He stages red-cap-to-APC-cap ceremonies, but most of these supposed defectors vanish back into Kwankwasiyya afterwards.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, his loyal supporters feel neglected, with little or no dividends of democracy reaching them.</p>
<p>Perhaps most surprising is Barau’s weak media presence. Despite the importance of perception in politics, he lacks a strong media team in both Kano and Abuja. Attacks against him on social media go largely unanswered, leaving his image to erode. His current handlers, by all standards, appear incapable of defending or projecting his political brand.</p>
<p>Interestingly, there are also a few capable individuals who are not formally part of his media team, yet they mean a lot to Barau because of the way they consistently propagate his achievements and policies. Some of them do not even have direct access to him, but they connect with some of his close allies and work tirelessly in his favor, with the hope that one day they will be granted access to him and contribute more directly to his success.</p>
<p>These shortcomings raise a crucial question: if Barau is struggling to consolidate his position as Deputy Senate President and Kano North’s foremost politician, is he really prepared to face the ferocious 2027 governorship race, especially against a determined Kwankwasiyya camp and an incumbent state government?</p>
<p>Barau still has time, but only if he rethinks his strategy. He must reconnect with his grassroots base, implement meaningful projects, restructure his political team, and build a robust media strategy. Otherwise, 2027 may prove not just difficult but disastrous.</p>
<p>For now, it is safe to say Senator Barau is not ready for the Kano governorship battle. The sooner he confronts this reality, the better his chances of rewriting the narrative.</p>
<p>Saleh Maidoki writes from Dambatta, can be reached at Salehmaidoki@gmail.com</p>
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