Ex-Kano LG chairman returns to tailoring after court ouster
Former Kumbotso Local Government Chairman in Kano State, Abdullahi Gali Shitu, popularly known as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, has returned to tailoring full-time after losing his office through a court ruling, saying the trade offers greater stability than politics.
Basaf, who served as Kumbotso chairman until March 2026, told Daily Trust that his decision was intended to send a message that politicians should have a sustainable trade and see politics as an opportunity for service rather than a permanent source of livelihood.
“Tailoring is not a small trade. It is a major one. It sustains livelihoods. Even in politics, my tailoring business helped me financially to support my campaigns and organisations,” he said.
The former council chairman currently runs a tailoring shop in Sheka Ward that employs about 20 people. He said he plans to modernise the business, establish a garment company, and create jobs for more than 50 people.
“My goal is to modernise tailoring, establish a garment company, and employ 50 or more people. I want to contribute to the economy,” he said.
Basaf said he wants young people to see dignity in skilled trades and not despise vocational work.
“Value your trade more than politics, because it sustains you and enables you to support your political activities,” he advised.
A graduate with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science, Basaf said he chose tailoring out of passion despite having opportunities for white-collar jobs.
Basaf’s political career was closely linked to the Kwankwasiyya movement. He founded Kwankwasiyya Reporters in 2015, served as chairman of the Alliance National Party in Kano, contested for the Senate in 2019, and later joined the NNPP, where he was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Information.
He won the Kumbotso chairmanship election in 2024, but the Kano State High Court nullified his Certificate of Return in March 2026 and declared Ali Musa, known as Hardworker, the rightful winner.
Reflecting on life after office, Basaf described tailoring as “a noble profession, even greater than holding political office.”
“Politics can change overnight. You can be in the office today and out tomorrow. But tailoring remains. It feeds you, it supports your family, and it allows you to help others,” he said.
Although he has returned fully to tailoring, Basaf said he is not abandoning politics entirely, insisting that public engagement remains part of his life.
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