KANO IN TURMOIL, BARAU IN ACTION: WHILE NNPP BURNS, THE DEPUTY SENATE PRESIDENT CHANGES 125 LIVES.
…As NNNP battles itself, Barau Jibrin battles unemployment.
By Shariff Aminu Ahlan
The ancient city of Kano is boiling. Political tempers are high, alliances are collapsing, and what was once perceived as an unbreakable political family has been violently shaken by internal earthquakes. The ruling NNPP is today a house divided against itself, ravaged by suspicion, ego clashes, and an unprecedented power struggle that has left supporters confused and opponents energized.
It is no longer debatable, no longer arguable, and certainly no longer a secret that the NNPP in Kano has been devastated by internal ramblings. The storm began with a confirmed and shocking political development: Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s reported split from the once-feared and tightly knit Kwankwasiyya political movement led by former governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
For years, Abba Kabir Yusuf was perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a loyal product of Kwankwasiyya, an anointed political errand boy whose loyalty to his political master was assumed to be absolute and eternal. Kwankwaso himself was seen as untouchable, aggressive, domineering, and politically arrogant, a leader whose words were treated like divine commands, orders that must be obeyed without question.
That illusion has now collapsed. In a move that stunned Kano’s political space, Abba Kabir Yusuf appears to have finally freed himself from the political shackles of his former godfather and is reportedly on a path toward the ruling APC, directly against the wishes and directives of Kwankwaso. What many thought would never happen has not only happened, it has happened with force.
Records and reports indicate that the Speaker of the House, the Majority Leader, 44 Local Government Chairmen, 44 Party Chairmen, members of the House of Representatives, and several Commissioners have all reportedly aligned with the governor, leaving the once all-powerful Kwankwaso with only a handful of loyalists. The political lion of Kano, it seems, has been dramatically isolated.
Adding more fuel to the raging fire are strong speculations that Hon. Murtala Sule Garo, former APC Deputy Governorship aspirant, may emerge as the new Deputy Governor should the defection become official in the coming days. Kano politics, clearly, has entered a dangerous and unpredictable phase.
Yet, amid this political hurricane, while ambitions clash, loyalties collapse, and titans wrestle for supremacy, one man chose a different path. While others were busy plotting, calculating, and fighting for power, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, was busy changing lives.
In a rare, strategic, and deeply symbolic move, Senator Barau Jibrin quietly distributed permanent and pensionable Federal Civil Service appointments to 125 Kano indigenes as a New Year gift. No noise. No political drama. Just impact. At a time when heavyweight politicians in both NNPP and APC are consumed by uncertainty, fear, and desperate alignment, Barau stood tall, focused, calm, and deliberate. This is a man whose major preoccupation since the beginning of this political dispensation has been people-centered development, empowerment, and tangible relief for the masses.
As political ramblings continue to evaporate into confusion, millions of Kano citizens have turned their eyes toward one direction—Barau Jibrin. The question on everyone’s lips is unavoidable: What is Barau’s next move?
As the most visible, effective, and openly discussed governorship aspirant in the state, many are anxiously waiting to hear his stand. Will he challenge an incoming governor for the APC ticket, despite the party’s informal but well-known tradition of automatic tickets for defecting incumbent governors? Will he boldly pursue his long-nurtured ambition, or will he await the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his close ally, trusted confidant, and political soulmate?
These questions dominate discussions in markets, mosques, social gatherings, and political circles across Kano State. Yet, instead of being distracted by the chaos rocking the political space, Senator Barau Jibrin stunned the entire state by choosing service over struggle, impact over intrigue, and people over politics. By offering 125 citizens a secure future through solid Federal Government employment, he sent a powerful message: leadership is not about noise, it is about results.
In the middle of political uncertainty, Barau Jibrin chose certainty for 125 families. In the face of political ambition, he delivered economic stability. While others fight for power, he invested in people.
And perhaps, that is why Kano is watching him more closely than ever before.
Shariff Aminu Ahlan APC Intellectual Warrior and can be reached @realahlan0101@gmail.com
