In Jigawa, an unusual but welcome development

The election of Allhaji Badaru Abubakar of APC as governor is a major political development for the state. He’s proven to us that he is not one of those politicians that seek elective office to become millionaires overnight at the expense of the people.For many years, our politics has been dominated by opportunistic politicians who […]

The election of Allhaji Badaru Abubakar of APC as governor is a major political development for the state. He’s proven to us that he is not one of those politicians that seek elective office to become millionaires overnight at the expense of the people.
For many years, our politics has been dominated by opportunistic politicians who are only interested in riding on the backs of the people to attain power for personal aggrandizement. This election, however, is a departure from this ugly reality of our national politics, as Badaru is in politics to offer selfless service to the people.
Another interesting thing about this man is that all other APC contestants supported him after he won the primaries instead of dabbling in anti-party activities to sabotage his victory. His humility is the only secret to explain why he enjoys the support of others that contested against him during the primaries. He won this time because the people acknowledged his sincerity to serve. His fellow contestants such as Hon. Farouk Adamu Aliyu, Ubali Hadejia and Hashim Ibrahim Hassan, all threw their weight behind him and worked for his victory.
Jigawa State is lucky to elect a politician who is unassuming and a good listener. He doesn’t personalize power or reduces people to yes men. Personalization of power is one of the great problems of our democracy. You cannot build strong democratic institutions where power is concentrated around individuals or personalities. His election will end the era of politics characterized by personality cult. When leaders monopolizes power, they subordinate the wishes of the people to their whims and caprices.
This time, however Jigawa state is lucky to have elected Alhaji Badaru Abubakar as their Governor under APC platform. As a broadminded politician who believes in the collective wisdom of his people, Badaru will make a big difference. The people of the state need a humble, accessible and responsive leader, and not a leader obsessed with self-glorification.
While commending the people of Jigawa State (of whose ranks I’m proud to belong) for their wise decision to vote Badaru of APC as their Governor, I also wish to offer some suggestions on how to help him tackle the basic challenges facing our fair state. Of particular importance is youth unemployment. Jigawa has the highest record of youth joblessness in Nigeria, so the governor-elect must give priority to this social problem. Youth restiveness exposes our promising young men and women to dangerous temptations, including drugs, criminality, prostitution and other deviant social behaviour. It is embarrassing that, despite the hype of the “development strides” of the outgoing administration, Jigawa remains burdened with youth unemployment.
As a social group, the youth are a major voting bloc, and therefore, the governor-elect should pay attention to this issue once he is sworn into office. No government can afford to overlook this ugly social reality. The governor-elect has the will and the experience to tackle this challenge. He should make a big difference in this respect. I am pleased the people of Jigawa state made a good choice by electing Badaru, and we will never regret our choice. We are lucky he is coming into office as a man fully prepared for leadership.
Badaru’s election was also widely hailed by other professional bodies that are impressed by his leadership qualities. The acting President of the Nigeria Association of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chief Bassey Edem, who led a delegation to the governor-elect in his hometown, recalled that during Badaru’s tenure as president of the association, he “promoted cordial relationship between the government and private entrepreneurs across the country.” Chief Edem was preaching to the converted because Badaru’s qualification for the job is beyond debate.    
Kaugama wrote in from No. 104 Hadejia Road, Kano.