A former local government chairman in Kano State has gone back to his roots. Abdullahi Gali Shitu, the former chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Area, has returned to the tailoring workshop he has run for more than a decade, months after the Kano State High Court nullified his Certificate of Return. Shitu, widely known across the state as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, said his decision to resume the trade was deliberate, aimed at demonstrating that politics should never be treated as a permanent profession.
In an interview with Daily Trust, Basaf said public office is an opportunity to serve the people and should not be viewed as the only source of income. He argued that the end of his tenure in March 2026 was not the end of his life’s work. Instead, he went back to what he knows best: tailoring, which has been his primary source of livelihood and a financial backbone for his political activities for years.
From Council Chamber to Sewing Machine
Basaf was removed from office after the court ruled that his Certificate of Return was issued in breach of an earlier court order. The Kano State High Court consequently declared Ali Musa, popularly known as Hardworker, as the duly elected chairman of the local government and directed that he be sworn in. Shitu accepted the verdict and did not appeal, according to the report.
Now, he is back at his tailoring workshop in Sheka Ward, Kumbotso Local Government Area, where he supervises about 20 apprentices. He said the workshop is not a small operation; it is a major enterprise that sustains many families. "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. Without it, it would have been impossible to sustain political activities," he said.
Expansion Plans and a Message for Young Nigerians
The former council boss has even bigger plans. He intends to expand the current workshop into a full-fledged garment manufacturing company that would employ at least 50 people. "My goal is to modernise tailoring, establish a garment company, and employ fifty or more people. I want to contribute to the economy," he added. This ambition aligns with his belief that skilled trades can provide long-term stability in an unpredictable political environment.
Basaf urged young Nigerians to embrace vocational skills rather than depending exclusively on politics or white-collar jobs. "Politics can change overnight. You can be in office today and out tomorrow. But tailoring remains. It feeds you, it supports your family, and it allows you to help others," he said, adding that he would remain active in politics even as he returns to his workshop. He stressed that skilled trades offer long-term stability in a country where many professions face uncertainty.
A Politician with a Trade Background
Shitu holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science, but he has always maintained that tailoring is his true passion. Before his election victory in 2024, Basaf had already built a reputation as a political organiser and media activist. He founded the Kwankwasiyya Reporters platform in 2015, served as Kano State chairman of the Alliance National Party, contested for a Senate seat in 2019, and later joined the New Nigeria People’s Party, where he served as Senior Special Assistant on Information.
His foray into electoral politics peaked when he won the Kumbotso chairmanship election in 2024. But the victory was short-lived. In March 2026, the court nullified his Certificate of Return, citing a breach of an existing court order. Ali Musa, known as Hardworker, was declared the lawful winner and subsequently sworn in. Basaf, however, appears unshaken; he has simply returned to the trade that financed his rise.
Basaf’s decision to return to his workshop rather than depend on the remnants of political life sends a clear message: trade and vocational skills remain a reliable fallback. He has stated that politics should not be anyone’s only source of livelihood, and he is practicing what he preaches.
