In the political culture of Northern Nigeria, there is a particular category of test that every leader seeking the region’s trust must pass, not in a debate hall, not in a policy document, and not in the carefully managed environment of a presidential campaign rally, but in the unscripted, uncontrolled, and therefore most revealing moments when something is said or done that directly offends the values, the history, and the sacred memory of the people whose confidence that leader is seeking. It is in those moments, and only in those moments, that the depth of a leader’s respect for the north is truly measurable. Not by what they say about the north in their own speeches but by what they are prepared to say in defence of the north when it is being attacked by their own supporters. By that measure, the one that counts most in the court of northern political opinion, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have failed a test of the most fundamental and the most consequential kind. And their failure is documented, verifiable, and sitting in the public record for every northern voter to read before casting their ballot in 2027.

The facts are these. In a publicly published article on Opinion Nigeria, a verified Obi supporter responding directly to a pro-northern commentary written by Sufyan Lawal Kabo, whose article on the NDC ticket’s northern viability has been widely circulated within political commentary circles, described Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria, in the following terms. The Sardauna was characterised as a Fulani aristocrat who inherited power from the jihad.

His documented concerns about Igbo political dominance were dismissed as the testament of a conqueror who feared losing his conquered territory. And the legacy of one of the most consequential, most institution-building, most educationally transformative, and most internationally respected political figures in the entire history of northern Nigeria was reduced, in a single contemptuous paragraph, to the frightened posturing of an entitled hereditary ruler defending unearned privilege.
Let those words sit for a moment before we proceed. A Fulani aristocrat who inherited power from the jihad. The testament of a conqueror who feared losing his conquered territory. These are not the words of a political opponent engaging in legitimate historical debate.

They are the words of someone who holds the Sardauna of Sokoto in contempt. Someone who regards his life’s work, the building of Ahmadu Bello University, the establishment of the Bank of the North, the creation of the Northern Regional Development Corporation, the construction of the 16,000-seat Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, the cultivation of northern political consciousness that gave the region its voice in the first republic, as nothing more than the self-interested manoeuvring of an aristocratic class protecting inherited power. They are words that every northerner who has ever spoken the Sardauna’s name with pride, every student who has sat in the institution that bears his name, every community that has drawn on the legacy he built, and every family that traces its civic identity to the northern political tradition he helped define, has the right to hear, to evaluate, and to hold accountable.
And accountability, in a democracy, begins with leadership. When a political leader is seeking the votes of millions of people, they acquire, as an inseparable part of that solicitation, the responsibility to defend those people’s values, history, and sacred memory from disrespect, even when, and especially when, that disrespect comes from within their own political family. This is not an abstract principle invented for the purpose of this argument. It is the standard that has been applied consistently and correctly across Nigerian political history whenever leaders failed to speak up in the face of insults directed at communities they claimed to represent or to court.

It is the standard that northern voters have applied to every candidate who has ever sought their support. And it is the standard that Peter Obi and Kwankwaso have demonstrably and completely failed to meet in relation to the documented insult directed at the Sardauna of Sokoto by a verified member of their political community in a publicly accessible national publication.

Mohamed Hussaini writes from Bauchi.

The Pen that Teaches, the Mind that Illuminates, and the Legacy that Endures

There are men who merely pass through time, and there are men who leave footprints upon the sands of history. Ibraheem Ladi Amosa Abubakr Al Mu’allim, widely known as Albani belongs to the latter category—a rare intellectual craftsman, an educational reformer, a prolific author, and a visionary whose works continue to illuminate minds across continents.

A son of Ilorin, Nigeria, he emerged not merely as a teacher but as a bridge between tradition and modernity, dedicating his life to making Islamic knowledge, Arabic language, and contemporary education accessible to all. His journey is a testimony that greatness is not measured by titles alone but by the number of minds enlightened and hearts guided.

A Scholar of Many Horizons

Ibraheem Ladi Amosa is a distinguished educator, researcher, writer, and author whose intellectual contributions span across: Islamic Studies, Tawheed and Aqeedah, Fiqh and Hadith, Arabic Language Education, Children’s Islamic Literature, Social Reform, Ethics and Morality, Comparative Thought, Science and Technology Education, Community Development etc. His scholarship is characterized by a rare ability to simplify complex subjects without compromising their depth, making knowledge accessible to beginners while remaining beneficial to advanced learners.

A Pen That Refused to Sleep: Ibraheem Albani Al-Mu’allim Surpasses 100 Publications

Few scholars of his generation can boast of such a vast and diverse intellectual portfolio. Through dozens of publications and educational works, he has demonstrated extraordinary versatility and academic excellence. He is a prolific author, researcher, and educator with over one hundred and ten (110) publications in Arabic and English, covering diverse fields including ʿAqeedah (Islamic Creed), Fiqh, Hadith, Qur’anic Studies, Arabic Language, Education, History, Social Issues, Public Policy, Contemporary Islamic Thought, Community Development, and Youth Empowerment.

His books such as “Simplified Islamic Quiz 300 Islamic Questions and answers for seekers of knowledge,” “100 Questions and Answers on Tawheed,” “600 Authentic Hadiths,” “Al-Eemaan,” “Fiqh Zakah with Evidence,” “Fiqhus Salaat with Evidence,” “The Sacred Legacy of Al-Aqsa,” “Daily Prophetic Adhkar,” and numerous Arabic educational manuals have become valuable resources for students, teachers, and seekers of knowledge worldwide.

An Architect of Accessible Knowledge

What distinguishes Ibraheem Ladi Amosa is not merely the quantity of his works but their transformative vision. He possesses the rare gift of turning difficult concepts into understandable lessons and transforming academic knowledge into practical guidance. His mission has never been to fill bookshelves; it has been to fill minds. His writings embody the timeless wisdom that: “Knowledge is not what is stored in books; knowledge is what transforms lives.”

A Legacy beyond the Classroom

While many teach within four walls, Ibraheem Ladi Amosa has chosen a larger classroom—the world itself. Through books, research, educational initiatives, and digital platforms, he has extended the reach of beneficial knowledge far beyond geographical boundaries.

His contributions continue to: strengthen Islamic literacy, promote authentic tawheed, encourage critical thinking, preserve Arabic language heritage, inspire future generations of learners, and build bridges between faith and contemporary realities.

The Rare Genius of Purpose

True genius is not the accumulation of information but the ability to transform information into guidance, wisdom, and societal benefit. Ibraheem Ladi Amosa exemplifies this principle. He writes not for applause but for impact. He teaches not for recognition but for transformation. He researches not for prestige but for posterity. His life reflects the profound truth that: “A candle loses nothing by lighting a thousand others.”

A Legacy in Motion

The story of Ibraheem Ladi Amosa is not merely the story of an author. It is the story of a builder of minds. A cultivator of intellects. A reviver of beneficial knowledge. A guardian of authentic Islamic teachings. A mentor whose pen continues to speak long after the ink has dried. As generations continue to benefit from his writings and educational contributions, his legacy stands as a reminder that the greatest wealth a person can leave behind is knowledge that benefits humanity.

“When history remembers the builders of minds, the name Ibraheem Ladi Amosa (Albani) will stand among those whose pens became lanterns and whose knowledge became a lasting charity for generations yet unborn. – Markaz

Markaz Ihyahis Sunnah Waikhmadil Bid’ah

markazihyaahisunnah@gmail.com, 48, Line Chairman, Maikalwa, Naibawa Yanlemu, Kano

By Mohammed Babagana Abubakar
The Unifier Project Coordinator Kano State

Political analyst Larry Sabato once observed that politics is a good deal like religion in that everyone should have some, but it should be the right kind. For many years in Nigeria’s most populous commercial nerve center, the dominant style of politics was deeply transactional defined by entrenched godfatherism, conditional patronage, and a persistent gulf between campaign promises and governmental action.

However, as the administration of marks its third anniversary, Kano State is witnessing a profound philosophical shift in governance. The celebrations currently unfolding across the state’s 44 Local Government Areas are not merely acknowledgments of completed infrastructure projects, they are endorsements of a distinct people-centered leadership model that prioritizes human development over political theatrics.

To analyze the politics of promises kept under Governor Yusuf is to understand how deliberate populist policies, fiscal discipline, and strategic political courage can converge to redefine the relationship between government and the governed.

At the heart of people centered governance lies a simple principle, public resources must produce maximum public value. In a state as demographically significant and economically dynamic as Kano, governance cannot remain an elite driven exercise detached from grassroots realities.

Governor Yusuf’s governing philosophy popularly known as the Gida Gida administration has gained traction because it redirected state priorities from prestige driven spending toward human capital development. When a government consistently aligns public expenditure with the immediate concerns of ordinary citizens, political legitimacy is no longer enforced through patronage, it is naturally earned through trust and visible impact.

One defining characteristic of visionary leadership is the willingness to adequately fund public commitments. Nowhere is this more evident than in Kano’s education sector. By declaring a State of Emergency on education and allocating approximately 31 percent of the state budget to the sector surpassing the UNESCO benchmark the administration transformed education policy from campaign rhetoric into measurable institutional action.

Comprehensive renovation and upgrading of public primary and secondary school classrooms across the state.

Recruitment, regularization, and strategic deployment of qualified teachers to improve classroom to teacher ratios.

Revival of foreign postgraduate scholarship schemes for outstanding graduates, opening global academic opportunities for talented but vulnerable students.

These interventions reflect a long term investment strategy aimed at repositioning education as the foundation of sustainable economic and social advancement

In healthcare delivery, the administration abandoned the traditional overconcentration on metropolitan tertiary facilities. Instead, it prioritized the revitalization and equipping of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in rural and underserved communities.

This decentralized healthcare strategy directly addresses maternal and infant mortality rates at the grassroots level, where healthcare vulnerability is often most severe.

Beyond healthcare, the administration has also extended its reform agenda into the justice sector. Through legal and institutional reforms, the government has sought to expand access to legal aid services, strengthen pro bono legal networks, and accelerate the handling of prolonged detention cases. These reforms reinforce a broader philosophy that justice should not be determined by wealth, social status, or political influence.

A critical examination of Governor Yusuf’s leadership style reveals a government that is both adaptive and politically independent. Over the last three years, the Governor has consistently demonstrated that he views his electoral mandate as one entrusted directly by the people not as a proxy arrangement controlled by political godfathers.

His administrative choices have frequently emphasized competence, institutional effectiveness, and public accountability over narrow political loyalty.

Equally significant is the administration’s pragmatic approach to national political engagement. Strategic collaboration with federal institutions and broader national governance structures reflects a sophisticated understanding of Kano’s economic and geopolitical importance within Nigeria and the wider West African sub region.

As the Governor himself has repeatedly emphasized, Kano is too strategically important to isolate itself from national opportunities. By maintaining constructive engagement with the center, the administration has created a more stable environment for commerce, infrastructure development, investment attraction, and security coordination.

Ultimately, leadership is validated not by political slogans but by the economic realities experienced by ordinary citizens.

Under Governor Yusuf’s administration, Kano State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) reportedly rose from earlier baselines of approximately ₦37 to ₦40 billion to over ₦100 billion by the close of the 2025 fiscal year. Significantly, this growth was achieved not through excessive taxation of petty traders and small-scale market operators, but through tighter fiscal controls, improved revenue administration, and the systematic elimination of financial leakages.

The expansion in state revenue has directly supported a welfare centered governance agenda:

The administration has maintained consistent and uninterrupted salary payments, helping to sustain purchasing power and stabilize household incomes across the state.

Thousands of retirees have benefited from aggressive interventions aimed at clearing long-standing pension and gratuity backlogs. For many households, these payments have represented both economic relief and the restoration of dignity after years of uncertainty.

In the final analysis, the politics of promises kept represents one of the highest forms of democratic legitimacy. Political power becomes meaningful only when it is deliberately used to confront the fundamental realities of human existence poverty, illiteracy, disease, unemployment, and structural exclusion.

As the third-anniversary activities continue to showcase the administration’s achievements, the celebrations across Kano are not merely orchestrated political ceremonies. They reflect the sentiments of a population that increasingly feels recognized, included, and valued within the governance process.

Through a combination of fiscal courage, administrative humility, strategic foresight, and grassroots engagement, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has demonstrated that when leaders protect the mandate of the people, the people, in turn, protect the legacy of leadership.

Kano State appears firmly positioned on a path toward sustainable development, and its future remains exceptionally promising.