A 77 years old Yobe born Politicial maestro. Who paid his dues in politics, fearing no one, caring less whose balls are smashed, ox gored in his ferocious and tigerish criticisms. He may not be a Saint, not too many politicians are in Nigeria. Not immune to political shenanigans that project self interest. No politician is. He has after all some depth of human conscience and integrity, an ace in his hole.
I ran into him few days ago at Bolingo Experia and Towers Abuja. He was there among others for their Party ( NNPP) NEC meeting. As people were jostling to have body contact with him, at first instinct for whatever reason, I had a strong nudge to pose with him for a quick snapshot.
As we held hands and crossed hands across shoulders I said to him, “I like your fearlessness in criticising the goverment inanities. Your doggerdnes very inspiring and your sense of integrity very endearing” He smiled and said thank you. Your daughter Zainab is like you, fearless and bold, expressing her feelings too. He didn’t smile rather he laughed. It wasn’t an ordinary laugh by my assesment, more of a laugh that was ladened with a supressed thoughts of “yes you are correct hundred percent”.
Among the NNPP members he is revered and respected, a poliltical block called Kwankwosia, they were not many in number at the hotel lobby, but not less in quality, a crowd that would be described as timber and calibar.
Before meeting Elder Buba Galadima, a lot of mililing around by some party members were on at the lobby, cladded in their white flowing “agbada” with a red cap with a kwankwasia design, discussing in clusters and laughing in boisterous manner most times. Sat in one of the sofas at the lobby, bidding my time for my meeting, I had some causal discussions with some of them. From such discussions I learned the reason for the NEC– to decide which direction to go come 2027. They were expectant, waiting for the decision of the NEC before they could make any move politically. This shows loyalty to the one the worship as a deity.
As if there were beehives at the lobby, the humming noise became louder, people suddenly began to realign themselves, while gravitating towards one direction. Not too sure what caused such a sudden uproar, turning around to see what it was, the image of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in his traditional white agbada standwiched by the crowd as they heralded his triumphant entrance, jumped at me.
He may not be a major force in the national political field, attracting massive votes from many of the northern states , nevertheless, he remains unarguably a tsunamic force in Kano politics.
Kano being a state with massive population both organic and cosmetic, his relevance becomes a viable bargaining force. With over a million votes under hiscontrol, he possibly would be wooed for an alliance.
Where he stands today remains gray, not black and white , even when the NEC meeting said nothing about possible alliance.
Back to Buba Galadima. My predilection for his personality isn’t weaved around his sense of party loyalty, but more of his philosophy of life that resonates with integrity, values, contentment and boldness.
He seems not to wear the garment of an average Nigeria politician whose loyalty is engraved in stomach infrastructures. However, he may have his faults, his selfish intents and purposes not blurred, one nevertheless could see through the glinting of his eyes, the couching of his words and the scarting criticisms that seemlessly well up from his inside that he has a bit of conscience.
Rating Buba from 1 to 10 when it comes to integrity, character and good conscience I would give him 6 over 10.
Above average in political uprightness, fairness, equity and justice. He may not be a leader that would lead through elective positions, certainly he is a leader that would lead through his voice so powerful, fearless, bold and uncompromising, taking to the cleaners images of corruption in human form.
Buba Galadima! Continue being who you are. Better die of hunger as a lion than get so low as to struggle forage with lambs and goats in same pen.
Better be a human being standing with heads high with no food than stoop so low in dehumanised form to eat crumps from the table of corruption.
You have been a voice too strong to be muffled, reverberating enough not to be caged and devocalized by forces of oppression and horrible hangstarism.
So fearless, holding the mouth of a gun while the hand of the enemy trembles at the trigger. A cat with nine lives, daring death while death scampers for safety. You have already left an enviable foot print, so charming, even his political opponents would have wished he shares a bed space with them.
You have built a name for yourself, your children and generation unborn. Not rich with corrupt money, but rich enough in value and integrity to sort out any challenges that demands currency.
You may not be my hero. You equally may not be my mentor, but you have a special space in my heart reserved for people with conscience and integrity.
Continue in your activism, bulge not, stoop not for transient crumps from corrupt tables,nothing to glory in such things.
Jarlathuche@gmail.com
