The Debut of DSP Barau and Natural Occurances

By Abba Anwar

Whether or not the Deputy Senate President, Barau I Jibrin is now the leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano is subject to understandings and explanations. Being the highest ranking elected person in the configuration of power, at the national level, means a lot in the chemistry of power sharing and influence.

Even before now, I said a lot and complained bitterly to some of the respected APC influencers, movers and shakers in other words, in Kano state, in the way and manner, those close to the former Governor of Kano State and former National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje CON, were either ditching or aiding the ditching of this gentleman.

The most annoying part of it, is, how such people off their hands, when the need for image protection of the former governor was seeking genuine attention. Many accounts of this nature will come in my Memoir. Does my reader remember, when the former Chairman of Nassarawa local government, Auwal Shuaibu Aranposu was attacking Ganduje’s political dynasty?

That time, many of our social media people did little in the area of image protection of the dynasty, if you like. They resolved not to participate, because many of them believed Aranposu was more caring to them, though as a member of the opposition New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), than those saddled with the responsibility of managing media around Baba Ganduje.

Aranposu issue, I think is enough. Not to talk of swapping of the names of our social media actors and others, during the recently conducted screening and primary election of APC aspirants, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), by ditching agents around the then National Chairman. That was done to prevent our people to get the chicken change allowances from that exercise. Sheer greed and display of cruelty.

When Ganduje was governor, at the tail end of his second tenure, amongst those ditching his political machinery, up to the time he became the National Chairman of APC, some are not even from Kano state. They came, to primarily deconstruct him from all standpoints. Zaman karya da cin amana!

Coming back to DSP Barau, whose political presence means many things to different people. It is simply natural and Divinely designed, how his relevance, influence and shieldy political empire is waxing day in day out.

Before now, many devilish minds set him in clashes with other political heavyweights from Kano North Senatorial District. But to God be the Glory, fences were mended all before general elections. Reasons behind APC’s victory in all elections, leaving behind Kano Central and Kano South at the lowest ebb. In the past elections.

It reached an extent when the normal political disagreement between Senator Barau and the powerful Murtala Sule Garo, former Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate of APC, in 2023 general election, was fueled by APC detractors within the party. It was Baba Ganduje’s diplomatic intervention that saved the situation. As Garo was made the Director General of Barau campaign organization.

Senator Barau saw many disturbing developments, that were unarguably avoidable. That made his many paths to become thorny and too difficult to trek barefooted. Being a reserved and significantly humane politician, he remained calm, calculated and compounding.

To make the scenario worse, when Ganduje was exiting from office, after completing his second tenure as the governor of Kano state, he indicated interest in contesting for Senatorial seat, from the same zone with Barau, Kano North. Just as many governors do after completing their tenure in office. Pretending supporters of Ganduje at it again. They fueled, fueled and fueled the disturbing process.

Senator Barau, had to get Abuja backing before he secured his ticket again. While the peaceful Ganduje supported Barau to victory. Just as he did previously. You cannot take away this credit from him.

I think it was from that time, that the former National Chairman started x-raying his close so-called backers around him. When he became the National Chairman, other set of pretenders were either recruited or joined the bandwagon abruptly. More ploys, planless plans and insidious pretenses were injected into the system.

Another credit to Ganduje again was, he joined hands together with Senator Barau, to, at least, pose political threats and confusion to the ruling NNPP in Kano. Whatever happened in Kano, they said “Ganduje.” To the extent that when Kano official loses Raka’a in any of the 5 daily prayers, they said “Ganduje.” When an official’s wife has miscarriage, they said “Ganduje.”

Emirship tussle in Kano, they said “Ganduje.” Emir Aminu Ado Bayero’s stay in Nassarawa palace, they said “Ganduje.” Their inability and ineptitude in providing good governance for people in the state, they said “Ganduje.” He instilled palpable and endless fear in them.

With the Divine debut of the Deputy Senate President, most recently, which happened through many years of perseverance, patience, overlooking attitude and succumbing to frustrations, all frustrations and political anger from NNPP government in Kano, are geared towards the Senator. Many condemnations and rivalry are shifted, largely from Ganduje to Barau.

From within APC family in Kano, those defining Barau as politically handicapped and strategically mispositioned, have since started shifting ground. Some in covert operations, because they benefit from fueling political gap between the duo. Either the gap exists or not, is subject to one’s interpretation.

For many months back, I am privy to information that, Barau has since mended many fences, real and imaginary, with some APC juggernauts in the state. Especially those that are principled and not pretenders. Those who have the love of the party at heart. Not the eye service promoters.

To me, the way I see and understand it, is, Barau’s unwavering and undisputed progression is simply Divine and Godly. Is like God is proving a point for his servants on him. But I still wonder when people say, Barau lacks real politicians by his immediate side. To them, one can only progress politically when he has the kind of certain people by his side. Unknown to them, many people are not the same, when it comes to their modus operandi.

Senator Barau has been in politics for over 40 years. So what else do you need before you identify him as being an expert in political practice and development?

Believe it or not, many members of APC in Kano, honest and pretenders, have started making advances towards the Deputy Senate President. The good side of the story is, Senator Barau knows exactly what he wants from who and how. For long he has been monitoring those around Baba Ganduje. And clearly understands their merits and demerits, or antics, if you wish.

The fact that APC as a strong political party, is not gravitating around personalities, makes one comfortable to understand that, it is still waxing stronger in the national scheme of things.

And for the Deputy Senate President and First Deputy Speaker ECOWAS Parliament, one can say Barau Ikon Allah. That Barau is Allah’s making.

Anwar writes from Kano
July 3rd, 2025