By Garba Tsoho Dangoro
It is Allah that gives power to whosoever he pleases, and it is only him that possesses the might to take it at any time he deems fit and none can question him – Quran chapter 3, verse 26.
But reading the piece by one Adnan Mukhtar on the above subject matter makes one wonder if the writer and his sponsors appreciate the role of destiny in the affairs of men for them to have made the postulations in the piece where they attributed the attainment of political leadership totally to the schemes of men.
Perhaps it is the fixation on tarnishing the image of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, CFR, that had made the writer blind to common reasoning. A little due diligence would have saved him from embarrassment and spared us the needless alleged conspiracies about the power tussles he talked about that are, at best, the figments of his imagination.
To the best of my knowledge, all the people he mentioned in the write-up owe their achievements in life to Allah and cannot, therefore, hold any grudge against any man because they know that no man can deny another what is divinely bestowed.
That said, it would be pertinent to address some of the misrepresentations in the write-up so as not to mislead the public or paint certain leaders in a bad light.
Only the most gullible would believe that Senator Barau was behind the removal of Abdullahi T. Gwarzo as a minister, as claimed by the writer, as everyone knows that the appointment of a minister and removal from office is at the discretion of the President.
We witness how many ministers were appointed and relieved of their appointments by various presidents. None has attributed such removals to another person other than the president, who merely exercised his prerogative to choose whoever he likes to work with as provided by our constitution.
Along this line, one can recall how General Abdulrahman Dambazzau was appointed minister by then-President Muhammadu Buhari and replaced with General Salihi Magashi. Former President Buhari also appointed Alh Sabo Nanono but was later relieved of his appointment. Hon. Umar El Yakub replaced him.
Also, one can vividly recall the case of Maryam Shetty who was nominated and was even at the Senate for screening only for her name to be withdrawn at the last minute. Like Shetty, Jemila Salik was nominated by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in February 2014, but she was replaced with Malam Ibrahim Shekarau hours before her confirmation.
In the scenarios mentioned above, nobody attributed the change of those affected to anyone but to the Presidents who reserved their rights to choose whoever they wanted to work with.
The commendations trailing the nomination of Hon Yusuf Abdullahi Ata were not limited to the APC as it was meritorious and done to balance the equation in the Kano State political arithmetic. Everyone was wowed when Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central) told the world on the floor of the Senate that he was threatened with Ata’s appointment, describing him as a political juggernaut and master of the game.
Senator Barau is a humble, respectful and pro-masses politician; these traits have endeared him to the elites and masses, including traders, artisans, farmers, women, youths, and clerics in Kano and beyond.
It is on record that since he ventured into politics, he has maintained a decent image devoid of rancour, acrimony or ill feelings towards others. That’s his selling point and perhaps what is giving Mukhtar and his sponsors sleepless nights.
Even the average observer of Kano politics knows that Senator Barau’s primary interest is to serve the people and improve the lot of the masses.
He has been doing that very well through his interventions in infrastructural development, education, health, agriculture, power, quality legislation, and outreach to people.
Only a few politicians can match the depth of Senator Barau’s reach, which has touched people’s lives since his days as a member of the House of Representatives to when he became a commissioner, a senator, and now deputy president of the Senate and First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.
That is why many people are defecting to the APC in Kano, not for pecuniary reasons, as mischievously contrived by the writer. Notwithstanding the attempt to downplay such accomplishments by other parties through the sponsorship of a few persons to make spurious claims, one cannot take away the fact that Senator Barau has attracted so much development to not only Kano but to the entire Northwest region as evidenced by in his sponsorship of the North West Development Commission and other bills.
The resort to saying that people are defecting for what they can collect from him is a sign of panic. Still, Senator Barau is not bothered, knowing that Kano is an APC state that only suffered a minor setback in 2023 but is about to be reclaimed.
Moreover, the people of Kano would ultimately decide who governs them in 2027 based on their assessment of those presented to them and not on the bias of a few selfish individuals who may want to sacrifice merit for their gains.
Kano voted for Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from Kano Central in 1999, for Malam Ibrahim Shekarau from the same zone for two consecutive terms, and for Kwankwaso back for another four years, giving the zone 16 years.
It is the same people who would again decide what is best for them in 2027 and would not be blackmailed into sacrificing merit to please a few self-centred individuals.
For the information of Mukhtar and his sponsors, the position currently occupied by Senator Barau, the Deputy President of the Senate, is higher than a governor’s seat. The people of Kano State, across the 44 local government areas of the state, are clamouring for him to come and govern the state to change the developmental trends based on his antecedents and sterling service to the people.
Allah SWT will shame Mukhtar, his sponsors and co-travellers when Barau becomes the governor of our beloved state, Kano, Insha Allah, come 2027.
Amin Ya Allah.
Garba Dangoro is of Kumbotso LGA of Kano State.
