​The political atmosphere reached a fever pitch this week as the House of Assembly conducted the screening of Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo for the office of Deputy Governor. While the constitutional requirement of the screening is a formal administrative process, the scene at the Assembly complex told a much deeper story: one of absolute party harmony, grassroots loyalty, and a strategic realignment that has effectively unified the political landscape. The nominee did not arrive as a lone figure; he was ushered into the chamber by a “grand coalition” of stakeholders that spanned the entire spectrum of leadership. The sheer volume and diversity of the entourage served as an unmistakable confirmation of Garo’s total acceptability across all party organs and a testament to the fact that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has made a highly credible and strategic decision.
​In a remarkable display of commitment, the majority of these stakeholders traveled all the way from Abuja and other distant parts of the country specifically to witness the exercise. This mass migration of the political elite back to the state capital served as a powerful symbol of Garo’s widespread appeal and the high stakes of his confirmation following the vacancy created on March 27, 2026. Leading the charge were heavyweights of the National Assembly and former executive pillars, including Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar Bichi. Senator Kawu Sumaila and Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, representing the legislative backbone of the state, alongside Dr. Mariya Mahmud Bunkure, and Engr. Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, Rt. Hon. Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari,Hon. Engr. Sani Bala Tsanyawa,Hon. Abdullahi Sani Rogo,Hon. Yusuf Ahmed Badau,Hon. Sagir Koki,Hon. Abdullahi Mu’azu Gwarzo.
​The endorsement of the party’s foundation was particularly evident through the presence of the Elders Forum of the old APC. Distinguished leaders such as Former Speaker Hon. Abdulaziz Garba Gafasa, Fomer Speaker Hon. Ya’u Yanshana, Former Deputy Speaker Hon. Aliko Shu’aibu, Former Deputy Speaker Hon. Kabiru Hassan Dashi,Alhaji Bako Laraba, Alhaji Abubakar Mai-Mai Kwanar Dangora, and Alhaji Talle Mai’unguwa, among others, were prominently represented to identify with the nominee. Their presence signaled a vital bridge between the party’s heritage and its future, reinforcing the broad-based consensus behind Garo’s emergence as the preferred choice among the legacy stakeholders.
​However, it was the depth of the wider delegation that truly underscored the nominee’s reach. The entourage featured a rare assembly of institutional memory and grassroots power, including members of the Forum of Former Commissioners (2015–2023). and a vast array of former Special Advisers, SSAs, and Chief Executives of state agencies. This executive weight was matched by the “grassroots commanders”—former Local Government Chairmen and Caucus Committee Chairmen from all 44 LGAs—proving that the nominee’s support resonates in every ward. The legislative solidarity was equally imposing, with former Speakers and Members of the State House of Assembly standing side-by-side with both former and serving members of the Federal House of Representatives.
​This massive turnout also showcased the “soul” of the party, as current and former Party Executives joined the vibrant Women’s Wing to demonstrate that the internal machinery is fully energized. Even the digital and security arms of the movement were represented, with social media influencers documenting the historic moment in real-time and Party Marshalls maintaining the orderly conduct of the massive crowd. By bringing together the “old guard” and the “new wave,” Murtala Garo has positioned himself as a consensus candidate capable of healing rifts and fostering long-term stability.
​Without a doubt, this event stands as the most significant screening exercise in the history of the state. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the State House of Assembly has never witnessed such an unprecedented and massive turnout in support of a single nominee. This record-breaking mobilization transcends mere politics; it is a historic declaration of collective intent. The presence of such an overwhelming and diverse coalition—uniting the wisdom of the old guard with the dynamism of the new generation—serves as the ultimate seal of authenticity for Murtala Sule Garo. It confirms that he is not just a nominee of the executive, but a choice of the people and the party at large.
​As the state prepares for this new chapter, the message is undeniable: with a unified leadership, an energized grassroots, and a consensus that stretches from the local wards to the halls of Abuja, the path forward is one of unprecedented stability and progress. The Governor’s decision has not only filled a vacancy; it has fortified the very foundation of the state’s political future.

By Abba Anwar

As multi-sectoral and impactful, His Excellency, the Deputy Senate President, Dr Barau I Jibrin, CFR, is, his impact as a good and responsible representative, is felt across the entire Kano state, particularly, his primary constituency, Kano North. It isn’t an over-streched statement or boastful presentation, to say, Kano has never produced, a productive and people – oriented Senator like him. I stand to be corrected.

His expertise goes beyond being an orator, on the floor of the Senate, this important quality touches his constituents with multi-sectoral interventions across all the local governments. His quietness, discipline, leniency, humane posture, regional and global understanding, and intellectual capacity, are not only intimidating, they are the engine room of his domineering effect among contemporaries. No doubt about this. He who doubts, at his own peril.

On the floor of the Senate, DSP Jibrin, commands respect among colleagues. As he believes respect is reciprocal. Not only his Distinguished colleagues, even staff of the National Assembly, Senate precisely, know that, His Excellency is a rallying point for true patriotism and disciplined citizenship. His detribalised posture, earns him more respect among colleagues. He doesn’t look down at fellow human beings. An attribute that is naturally his.

The first Deputy Senate President from Kano state, since the return of democracy. It is an open secret that, His Excellency, Senate President, Senator God’swill Akpabio, enjoys working with the DSP very well. He finds an informed, highly educated, well versed, down-to-earth, an excellent human manager and brilliant Deputy, in DSP Jibrin. So also other Distinguished colleagues. Kano is proud of you Sir! Adieu Senator!! Adieu!!!

His strength in the Senate lies on the shoulders of its leadership and all other Distinguished colleagues. The kind of cooperation and mutual understanding he enjoys from his colleagues, became defining moment in his legislative life and selfless representation.

His unrelenting effort in respectfully engaging with all Senators, coupled with his brilliant understanding and contributions in the legislative process, earn him extra goodwill and well wishes from his colleagues. He is one of the leading principal officers, who listens the demands of colleagues and attends to them.

His multi – sectoral interventions back home, made it necessary for him to look at many sectors and sub-sectors, for the good of his people. Let me refer back to few months ago. This enlightened Senator, was, according to a research then, the most visible and one of the most productive legislators across Northern Nigeria. His, is beyond Kano.

As his legislative influence and recognition, go beyond Nigeria. Remember? He is the First Deputy Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament. A position he holds with passion, confidence, strategic engagement, vivid understanding of the global politics and Pan African posture. He has already been identified as one of the most vibrant legislators across Africa. Barau Ikon Allah!

What results are there at home from this gentleman? This space cannot take all his interventions back home. But I manage to list some of the fundamental projects and programmes from the Distinguished Senator. Let me start with his interventions for Kano North, 2015–2026, at a glance, if you wish.

Under Education he initiated Foreign scholarships. Fully funded Postgraduate Scholarships Abroad for indigent students through Barau I. Jibrin Foundation. Where seventy (70) students from across all the local governments under his Kano North zone benefited. All the sponsored students, that I earlier called BARAU SCHOLARS, got admission to study modern courses of greater value and substance. Such as Software Engineering, Robotics Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, Forensic Engineering, among others.

Just few days back, some of the Barau Scholars came back home after successfully completing their postgraduate studies abroad. They were received well by Barau’s Foundation and their respective families. They promised to give their quota in the development of the state as a whole. And the country in general. This is selfless, meaningful and patriotic engagement of our youth. One like no other.

It is all there for all to go and search, he gave scholarships for hundreds of thousands for Kano North students, across our tertiary institutions in the state. Which was also extended statewide, for other students from Kano Central and Kano South senatorial zones. Under this our people – oriented Senator also sponsored 300 hundred students to some selected Nigerian universities across the nation. All the stories are there for one to search.

He sponsored and facilitated for the establishment of Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo (FUST, Kabo). Which has since taken-off. Renaming of Federal College of Education, Kano, (FCE, Kano) to Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano.

He facilitated the establishment of Satellite Campuses of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) across all the local governments under his constituency, Kano North. He did that to ameliorate the suffering of our students going to other places for the NOUN programmes. With this, many more students got enrolled to further their education.

I do not talk of how he facilitated for the establishment of Satellite Campuses of the Federal University, Dutsinma, across many local governments in Kano state. With this initiative, many Kano students got admission and have started their studies comfortably. He believes in education being the key to human and societal development.

Under Agriculture & Food Security, DSP allocated the sum of Two Billion Seventy Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N2.79b), under Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the Northwest (BIARN), scheme. Where interest-free N5m loans would be given to each of the 558 young farmers across Northwest. Though the project is still batting hard to be implemented.

He developed another agricultural strategy for 132 beneficiaries, under special programme of Crop Focus, for maize and rice cultivation to boost yields and cut food cost. An initiative to promote food security. In the same line, he distributed over 400,000 bags of rice as palliatives to over Two Hundred Thousand households across Kano. This is just an estimate.

Under Economic Empowerment & Poverty Alleviation, he recently launched programme for grant distribution of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000), only as monthly capital to 1,300 individuals per month, from Kano North zone for 12 months. Which means a total of 15,600 beneficiaries. While the total disbursement will be over Two Hundred Million Naira (N218.2m) in one year.

He distributed the sum of N20,000 cash grants to 10,000 beneficiaries across 44 local government areas. Where 6,500 selected from Kano North, his constituency. At 500 per local government. Plus 112 beneficiaries per local government in Kano Central and Kano South. A Senator like no other.

Under the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for our small businesses, he purchased and distributed working equipments, like 1,300 sewing machines, 1,300 grinding machines, 1,300 deep freezers, 1,300 noodle-making machines and bags of flour, for women and youth across the state. A multi-purpose Senator if you like.

In his patriotic intervention in the transport sector, as his support, he distributed 1,300 bicycles for students in his constituency, especially in the rural areas, where the means of transportation is hard and harsh. He gave out 1,000 motorcycles to beneficiaries who came from different communities. With130 vehicles to transport unions.

In his unmatched effort to boost commercial activities around transport business, he initiated and launched Kano North Transport Service (KNTS), with 107 buses. It hardly takes you over 10 or 20 minutes, as one is plying major roads in Kano North without spotting such commercial buses with their tags and names decorated. This is human development per excellence.

For Sports and Youth Development, in his effort to boost sporting activities among youth, to keep them busy and drive them away from any form of drug abuse, he provided Jerseys for 1,950 teams across Kano North. Apart from other sport kits.

Under security, Distinguished Senator Jibrin, provided dozens of operational vehicles to Kano State Police Command to help them access nooks and crannies of the state. Some few months back, he donated over One Thousand (1,000) motorcycles to the Command for distribution to other ranks and file for easy and accessible operations across the state.

He gave out other logistics support to all the security agencies across the state. Apart from other security assistance to all security services in the state. Some of such donations cannot be disclosed for security reasons. As some security issues are not meant for public eyes.

For Legislative and regional projects he dearly facilitated projects across Kano North LGAs. His primary constituency. He hosted ECOWAS Parliament 2nd Extraordinary Session in Kano with 12 African countries in attendance, in April 2024. With that he was able to bring to the fore, for the participants to know the value of Kano culture, alongside the culture of the nation as a whole.

Distinguished DSP is not only a bridge builder between old and upcoming politicians in the North, he is one of the few legislators, who struggle to become embodiment of virtue, discipline, respect, hardwork, foresight, open-minded with sterling qualities, fearlessness and total commitment to welfare state.

With politicians like DSP, up North, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) needs a few press of some carefully selected buttons, ahead of 2027. If you want victory embrace those who see themselves as servants of the people.

Anwar writes from Kano
Tuesday, 21st April, 2026

Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya

When Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf made the bold and courageous decision to align Kano State with the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the critics were loud, the cynics were louder, and the doubters were everywhere. They called it political betrayal. They called it opportunism. Some called it the ultimate act of ingratitude toward a man who had invested years, resources, and political capital in building the career of the Kano governor. What they failed to see, or perhaps refused to acknowledge, was the singular and unwavering motivation behind that decision: the welfare of the ordinary men and women of Kano State, the market trader in Kurmi, the widowed mother in Dawakin Tofa, the unemployed graduate in Gwale, and the small business owner struggling to keep his shop open in Farm Centre.
In less than a year of active federal alignment, Kano State has gone from being a politically isolated outlier to becoming one of the most strategically positioned states in the entire federation. Federal presence, federal investment, and federal goodwill are flowing into Kano with a consistency and velocity that was simply impossible under the previous arrangement, where governance was dictated not by the needs of the people, but by the personal wishes of a political godfather seated comfortably in Abuja. For too long, Kano, a state that by every measure of population, commerce, history, and strategic importance deserves to sit at the very centre of Nigeria’s development conversation, was standing at the margins, watching other states benefit from federal partnerships while its own people paid the price of political stubbornness.
The clearest and most visible evidence of this transformation is the forthcoming flag off of the Energise Commercialisation Now initiative, a landmark federal programme spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology under the Honourable Minister, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, scheduled to hold in Kano from April 23 to 25, 2026. The programme, designed to mobilise innovation, attract investment, and accelerate industrial production across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, has chosen Kano as the venue for its national launch and North West zonal deployment. That choice is not accidental. It is not logistical. It is a deliberate federal acknowledgement of Kano’s strategic importance as the commercial and industrial heartbeat of Northern Nigeria, and a direct reward for Governor Yusuf’s visionary and courageous leadership.
The Energise Commercialisation Now initiative represents a structured national platform to identify commercially viable innovations, connect them with investors and manufacturers, and scale them into enterprises that create jobs and generate wealth. For a state like Kano, with its rich history of commerce, its dense network of small and medium enterprises, its vibrant informal economy, and its large population of young, talented, and ambitious people, this programme is not merely a federal event passing through. It is a genuine economic opportunity of generational significance.
More significantly, the programme will be flagged off by no less a personality than Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the personal champion of the ECoN initiative. Her presence in Kano is a statement of the highest order. In Nigerian political culture, when the First Lady travels to a state to commission a programme, it is not a routine governmental act. It is a personal signal from the Presidency itself. It is Aso Rock saying, in the clearest possible terms, that Kano is seen, Kano is valued, Kano is a priority, and Kano will not be left behind in Nigeria’s march toward industrial and economic transformation.
For Governor Yusuf, whose critics questioned whether his alignment with the APC and the Tinubu administration would translate into anything concrete for his people, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s visit to Kano on April 23 is the most powerful possible answer. It says that the partnership is real, the commitment is genuine, and the dividends are already arriving.
But beyond the symbolism and the political significance, what does all of this mean for the ordinary Kano citizen?
It means that the innovator in Fagge, the young entrepreneur in Tarauni, the female small business owner in Nasarawa, and the graduate sitting at home in Ungogo and all other localities in Kano now have a real, structured, and government-backed platform to showcase their ideas, access funding, connect with investors, and build enterprises that can employ others. It means that Kano’s universities, polytechnics, and research institutions, which for years have produced brilliant graduates and groundbreaking research that never left the laboratory, will now have a direct pipeline to the market. It means that the textile artisan in Kofar Mata, the leather craftsman in Yan Kaba, and the food processing entrepreneur in Dorayi can look at this programme and see themselves as legitimate participants in Nigeria’s industrial future.
This is precisely the promise of Governor Yusuf’s Kano First Agenda, an agenda that places the prosperity of Kano people above every political consideration, above every personal loyalty, and above every partisan calculation. When the governor stood before his people and declared that Kano would come first in every decision his administration makes, he was not making a campaign promise. He was entering into a sacred covenant with millions of people who had entrusted him with the highest office in the state.
Every decision his administration has taken since then, including the historic and difficult decision to align with the centre, has been guided by that covenant. The governor has consistently and publicly maintained that he answers to the people of Kano, not to any individual, not to any movement, and not to any political structure whose primary interest is the perpetuation of personal power rather than the advancement of public good. Kano State, he insists, is no longer remotely controlled. The elected chief executive is fully in charge, and fully accountable to the people alone.
The results of this philosophy are not abstract. They are measurable, verifiable, and visible to anyone willing to look beyond the noise of political controversy.
A N1.477 trillion budget for 2026, the largest in Kano’s history, with 68 percent allocated to capital projects. Over N334 million disbursed to 6,680 women across all 44 local government areas of the state, each receiving a monthly stipend of N50,000 to grow their businesses and support their families. More than N800 million invested in youth empowerment programmes benefiting over 5,300 young people. Kano ranking first in Nigeria’s 2025 NECO results, a historic educational achievement that signals a transformation in the state’s human capital investment. A health sector receiving N212.2 billion, with hospitals upgraded, the Abba Care Scheme launched, and healthcare access expanded across the state. An infrastructure allocation of N346.2 billion, covering urban roads, solar streetlights, housing development, and market renovation across all 44 local government areas.
These are not political talking points. These are not figures conjured for a press conference. These are the measurable, auditable, and undeniable fruits of purposeful, people-centred governance under a leader who understands that the ultimate test of political courage is not the decision itself, but what that decision delivers to the people it was made for.
As Kano prepares to host the First Lady of Nigeria and welcome the nation’s attention on April 23, one truth stands clear, unambiguous, and beyond reasonable dispute: Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf did not align with the centre for himself. He did not do it for political survival. He did not do it for personal gain. He did it for Kano. He did it for the market trader, the young graduate, the nursing mother, the struggling entrepreneur, and every ordinary citizen who deserves a government that fights for them at every level of power.