Ex-Kano LG Chairman Returns To Tailoring After Losing Office

Former Chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, Abdullahi Gali Shitu, has returned to his tailoring business months after a court removed him from office, saying that vocational skills provide more lasting security than political appointments.

Shitu, popularly known as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, now runs his tailoring workshop in Sheka Ward, Kumbotso LGA, where he supervises apprentices and produces garments while pursuing plans to expand the business.

Speaking on his return to tailoring, the former council chairman said the decision was intended to encourage young Nigerians to embrace vocational skills rather than relying solely on politics for survival.

According to him, every politician should have a sustainable means of livelihood because public office is temporary and should be seen as an opportunity to serve, not a permanent source of income.

“Tailoring is not a small trade. It has sustained me for years, including during my political career. It provided the financial support I needed for my campaigns and political activities,” he said.

Basaf disclosed that his tailoring business currently employs about 20 people and revealed plans to transform it into a garment manufacturing company that will create more employment opportunities for youths.

Despite holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science, he said he chose to return to tailoring because it remains his passion and a practical way to contribute to economic development.

He noted that politics is unpredictable, whereas vocational skills provide long-term financial stability.

“You can hold political office today and lose it tomorrow, but your trade remains with you. It feeds your family and enables you to support others,” he added.

The former chairman urged Nigerian youths not to look down on skilled trades but to modernise them into profitable enterprises capable of generating wealth and employment.

Basaf was a prominent member of the Kwankwasiyya movement before serving as Kano State chairman of the Alliance National Party.

He later joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), where he served as Senior Special Assistant on Information before winning the Kumbotso Local Government chairmanship election in 2024.

During his tenure, he said his administration established schools, supported healthcare projects and sponsored the education of more than 2,000 students.

His time in office, however, came to an end in March 2026 after the Kano State High Court nullified his Certificate of Return and declared Ali Musa, popularly known as Hardworker, the duly elected chairman.

Despite the setback, Basaf said he remains active in politics while continuing to prioritise his tailoring business, insisting that vocational skills remain a dependable source of livelihood regardless of political fortunes.