The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jibrin Barau

  • Atah rejects Kano APC warning, reaffirms support for Barau

    Atah rejects Kano APC warning, reaffirms support for Barau

    Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Atah, has responded to the warning by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano stating his recent statements were within his democratic rights without the intention of causing friction within the party.

    The Kano chapter of the APC had in a letter by the chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, accused Atah of “acting as the mouthpiece of the party and making remarks capable of causing disaffection among members.”

    The letter added: “The party observed that you (Minister) are in the habit of making such uncomplimentary and derogatory public pronouncement and therefore has no alternative than to warn you to restrain from such behavior, failure in which the party may be compelled to take disciplinary action against you.”

    The letter was copied to President Bola Tinubu and the national secretariat of the APC.

    Read Also: I’m determined to eliminate bandits, terrorists, restore peace in North – Tinubu

    But in a statement by his publicity aide, Seyi Olorunsola, the myinister said he was issuing a formal response for clarity purpose, public education and restating unwavering loyalty to the party and Mr president.

    Atah cautioned against dragging internal party matters to national spotlight at a time when the country is grappling with urgent security concerns.

    The statement said: “The Honourable Minister views the decision to draft and circulate such a letter—especially one copied to the president—at a time when Nigeria faces a declared national security emergency, as an unnecessary distraction.

    “With the President suspending his international engagements, including the G-20 Summit in South Africa and a planned AU meeting in Angola, in order to attend to urgent state security matters, the priority of every patriotic leader should be unity, focus, and unwavering support for the Commander-in-Chief.

    “The Minister wishes to reaffirm that, beyond being a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a proud member of the APC in Kano State, he is first and foremost a citizen of Nigeria with constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression and opinion.

    “The Minister ‘s loyalty to President Bola Tinubu and the APC is unquestionable and has been demonstrated consistently through sacrifice and commitment to party’s ideals.

    “Therefore, any suggestion that his recent public comments amount to ‘disaffection’ or an attempt to arrogate party leadership to himself is not only unfounded but reflects a narrow and erroneous understanding of democratic rights and internal party dynamics.

    “If offering a sincere, well-reasoned, and patriotic opinion on the future direction of the party ahead of the 2027 elections is what the writers of the letter consider a wrongdoing, then the Minister stands ‘guilty as charged’—guilty only of loving his party enough to speak truthfully and strategically at a crucial moment.”

    Atah also addressed concerns following his recent endorsement of Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau’s 2027 governorship ambition, which party members said prompted the warning from the Kano APC.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the minister’s recent comments on the suitability of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, as the most viable gubernatorial candidate for the APC in 2027, were personal and patriotic assessments—not official party declarations.

    “Senator Barau represents, in the Minister ‘s view, the strongest and most unifying choice for the APC to reclaim Government House Kano at the 2027 general election.

    “This assessment is based on sound political foresight and decades of engagement with the grassroots.

    “The minister believes party leaders should welcome strategic thinking that positions the APC for victory before formal nomination processes begin.

    “His comments were never intended to usurp the powers of party organs, rather, they were reflections of democratic analysis—open to debate, disagreement, or acceptance by party members.

    “The Minister remains committed to the APC, to the President, and to the peace and progress of Kano State,” the statement said.

  • Barau, APC and 2027

    Barau, APC and 2027

    • By Tayo Williams

    Unlike his peers, Senator Jibrin Barau, Deputy Senate President, who turned 66 on June 19, covets no vanities and demands no gaudy celebration for his birthday or to glorify his exploits as a man and leader of men. Despite his towering achievements, the soft-spoken senator remains an epitome of modesty, resilience, and transformative leadership.

    Though not a landmark birthday that would have occasioned a rousing celebration, it is, however, for Jibrin a resounding testament and poignant reminder of Allah’s (SWT) profound love and abiding grace over his life.

    Friends and political associates say that Senator Jibrin is so unassuming because he realised early in life that fate had thrust upon him a huge task of unifying the different interests in the political power play of the Northwest while ensuring that no human was left to suffer any deprivation.

    Hence, he takes nothing for granted, and he is a walking embodiment of gratitude to God for the grace and good health to wake up daily without any aches and anxieties.

    Blessed with cutting-edge political intelligence and an incredibly fecund mind that is only tempered by unpretentious compassion, Jibrin’s philanthropy is intrinsic and deep-rooted, not contrived or cosmetic.

    Despite the widespread impact of his philanthropic activities, the wide-ranging social welfare programs with the objective of being the voice of those who desperately need help, he doesn’t make a song and a dance of them. That is why noiseless but far-reaching philanthropy is his watchword. Senator Jibrin shares in the angst of his people and tries as much as possible to brighten their year with numerous gifts and food items. He is proof positive that the line between politics and philanthropy is thin.

    Through the Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF), founded many years ago to provide humanitarian assistance, empower youths, promote academic excellence, and provide educational opportunities, particularly for graduates from the Kano North Senatorial District, Senator Jibrin has touched thousands of lives.

    In recognition of the fundamental role education plays in shaping society, the foundation’s scholarship programme is expanding educational access for young Nigerians through fully funded scholarship programs, both domestic and foreign, focusing especially on fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, and forensic science, among others.

    Read Also: ADC coalition a desperate alliance of failed politicians – Tinubu Media Force

    Recently, the foundation awarded postgraduate scholarships to 300 students within Nigeria, while postgraduate foreign scholarships in M. Tech. (Information Security & Cyber Forensics), M. Tech. (Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning), and M. Tech. (Robotics Sciences) have been awarded to successful applicants as part of efforts to contribute to the country’s technological advancement.

    In furtherance of this, Senator Jibrin sponsored the bill to upgrade the Federal Polytechnic, Kabo, in Kano State into the Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently approved. Upon the transmutation, the polytechnic, established in 2022, now becomes the third federal university in the state, joining Bayero University Kano and the recently upgraded Federal University of Education, now named after the late Yusuf Maitama Sule.

    “The establishment of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, reflects the President’s commitment to equipping Nigerian youths with essential skills in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybersecurity,” he said.

    Indeed, Senator Jibrin is one of Nigeria’s most prodigious senators with a robust catalogue of people-centric bills addressing critical areas of our national life, including infrastructure, education, youth and human development, healthcare, etc. The fact that he doesn’t joke with these essential areas of life and the passion and resources he channels into addressing them in Kano and everywhere in between have placed him on a pedestal above his colleagues.

    He continually harnesses his political influence and resources to better his people’s lot while evolving into a centripetal force for Nigeria’s most populous geopolitical zone, the Northwest. Beyond that, he has facilitated several projects like the construction of rural roads to enhance connectivity and the installation of solar-powered boreholes for access to clean water in Kano North. His health initiatives include the building or renovation of medical facilities, maternal and child health programs, the distribution of medical supplies, and the equipping of health centres to improve access to essential health services.

    Born in Kabo, Kano State, the erudite Senator Jibrin holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a master’s degree in financial management and pricing, another master’s degree in management, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He also holds a degree in Financial Management for Business Decisions from Cornell University, United States. His foray into politics started with his election as a member of the House of Representatives for the Tarauni Federal Constituency in 1999.

    His peerless fiscal expertise and experience saw him chair the House Committee on Appropriations. He was also a member of the House Committee on Power. A former chairman of the Kano State Investment and Properties Ltd. and commissioner of science and technology in the state, Jibrin was first elected into the Senate in 2015 and won re-election in 2019 and 2023, respectively. He also served as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations for the 9th Senate.

    Though he was the front-runner for the senate presidency in the 10th Assembly, he respected the party’s zoning arrangement and agreed to be deputy senate president. However, that does not in any way detract from the unparalleled wealth of experience that he has acquired as a third-term senator and the highest-ranking senator from the Northwest. Those who should know reckon that for the APC to make any meaningful progress in the Northwest in the 2027 elections, this ‘Birthday Boy’ has a huge role to play.

    So pervasive is the impact and influence of Senator Jibrin that he is being touted by some as the presumptive running mate to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election. While acknowledging that the political groups urging the president to adopt him as his running mate mean well, Jibrin advised them to focus on supporting the Tinubu administration instead of engaging in premature politicking.

    “Mr President has been working hard to reposition Nigeria and tackle the problems he inherited. He is a kind-hearted and open-minded leader who stood by me when I faced challenges in Kano. When the time comes, we will talk politics. For now, let us face governance and support Mr President to succeed. When he succeeds, we all succeed,” he said.

    He added a caveat, though: “Whatever the President asks me to do, I will do it — 100 per cent. He is my political father. If he calls on me to work with him, I will simply say, ‘Thank you, sir,’ and I will do it.”

    Of course, for the development of Kano State and Nigeria, Senator Jibrin turns nothing progressive down, except the collar of his shirt.

    •Williams is a Lagos-based media executive.

  • My scorecard, by Barau

    My scorecard, by Barau

    Ismail Mudashir writes on the achievement of Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau in the last two years

    In his commitment to tackling the country’s challenges through legislation, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has sponsored 29 private member bills in two years, halfway through the life of the 10th Senate.

    Inaugurated on June 13, 2023, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proclamation of the parliament via a letter to the Clerk to the National Assembly in line with Section 64(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the 10th National Assembly celebrates its second anniversary on June 13th this year.

    As the parliament celebrates its second year, half-time as it is called in the business of soccer, a tally obtained from the Senate Committee on Rules and Business showed that  Senator Barau, a fourth-timer at the National Assembly (three times in the Senate – 2015 to date and once in the House of Representatives—1999 -2003) – topped the chart of private member bills sponsorship.

    Six months ago, amazed by Senator Barau’s feat on private member bills sponsorship despite being a presiding officer, journalists covering the Senate honoured him with an award after analysing the records on bills sponsorship among serving senators in the 10th National Assembly.

    Tagged ‘Highest Development Driven Bills Award,’ the Senate Press Corps, the foremost body of journalists covering the Nigerian Senate, said Senator Barau was conferred with the prestigious award for topping the bills chart and in recognition of his unwavering commitment to legislative excellence.

    An analysis of the 29 bills showed that they affect all spheres of the country, including the economy, education, health, security, infrastructure, and agriculture.

    Senator Barau’s key areas of legislative interest are education, security, agriculture and the economy.

    The North West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, now an Act of Parliament following President Bola Tinubu’s assent, stands out as Senator Barau’s signature initiative to boost infrastructure and economic development in the North West geopolitical zone, comprising the states of Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

    The NWDC, in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which addresses the challenges facing all parts of the country head-on, has a budget of N585bn this year. Following this initiative, the North Central, South East, South-South, and South West development commissions have been established to address the various regions’ developmental challenges.

    Other landmark bills sponsored by Senator Barau that have been signed into law by the President and poised to drive transformative development are the Maitama Sule Federal University of Education (Establishment) Act, 2024 which enhances teacher education and academic excellence, and the Federal University of Science and Technology Kabo (Establishment) Act, 2025 to promote technological innovation especially in cutting edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Forensic Science, cyber security, among others.

    Similarly, Senator Barau, who is the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, has also introduced the Development Planning and Project Continuity Bill.

     Other bills are the Renewable Energy Bill, the In-Vitro Fertilisation Bill, the Cyber Crimes (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, the Explosive Act (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, and the Nigerian Real Estate Industry (Regulations and Development) Bill.

    Also to the credit of Senator Barau are the Government Performance and Accountability Bill, National Assembly Budget and Research Office Bill, Renewable Energy Bill, Occupational Safety and Health Bill, National Identity Management Commission (Repeal & Enactment) Bill, Agricultural Research Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 477) and the Nigeria Cooperative Societies Act (Repeal & Enactment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 828).

    As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Barau has sponsored nine bills to amend various sections of the 1999 Constitution in line with the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian masses.  Five bills of the Deputy President on education are at various legislative stages in the Upper Chamber.

    Aside from sponsoring bills, Senator Barau has also embarked on numerous people-driven projects, interventions, and initiatives to positively impact the lives of the people of Kano North Senatorial District, Kano State, North West, and the country as a whole.

    Read Also: Barau hails Tinubu for signing federal varsity of science, tech bill Kano into law

    Also, through his Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF), the Deputy Senate President has offered scholarships to hundreds of indigent students to pursue postgraduate studies in cutting-edge fields locally and abroad.

    As you read this piece, 70 beneficiaries of his postgraduate foreign scholarships are pursuing higher degrees in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Robotics Science in reputable institutions of higher learning overseas.

    Another 300 graduates have been selected for his domestic postgraduate scholarships at six Nigerian universities: Bayero University Kano, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

    This is in addition to the scholarships he has offered to all undergraduates from Kano North Senatorial District who study at tertiary institutions in Kano State and beyond.

    In agriculture, in addition to distributing hundreds of trucks of fertilisers and farming implements annually, Senator Barau, through the Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN), has selected over 1,000 young farmers to receive loans to cultivate rice and maize this year in the seven North West geopolitical states.

    Each selected beneficiary will receive a loan ranging from N1 million to N5 million to invest in farming this year.  The selection process has since been concluded. This programme will take off maybe before you finish reading this article.

    The transport sector is not left out. Last year, he launched the Kano North Transport Service (KNTS) with 107 buses. Launched in May 2024, the service has contributed immensely to enhancing the country’s transport sector.

    Senator Barau’s security interventions have also benefited the state. In November last year, he donated 1,000 motorcycles to the Kano police to facilitate their patrol of the state’s 44 LGAS.

    According to a saying, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Therefore, the Deputy President of the Senate established the Barau Football Club to engage the country’s youths. Recently, Barau FC qualified for the 2025 Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 Promotional Play-Off.

    The Barau FC, which draws players from across the country, has made history as one of the fastest-rising clubs in Nigeria. It has competed in the Nationwide League One (NLO) and the NNL and is now aiming for a spot in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

    In March this year, Senator Barau bailed out 52 football clubs in Kano State by paying their registration fees for this year’s Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) competition.

    In the political turf, Senator Barau has done well to the admiration of all, including members of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP)/ Kwankwasiyya Movement, who have been trooping to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their numbers in recent times.

    The gale of defections rocking the NNPP in Kano State has been named Barau Tsunami. Recently, the National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, described Senator Barau as “ a real General in Nigerian Politics.”

    In February, Senator Barau donated 61 cars and 1,136 motorcycles to the APC leadership at the grassroots in Kano State. The motorcycles were meant for ward chairmen, while the cars would go to party leaders, including local government and zonal chairmen, to enhance the socioeconomic well-being of party members and promote its democratic and development ideals.

    In recognition of his outstanding legislative dexterity and pro-masses projects and initiatives, Bayero University Kano conferred on him an honourary doctorate last year. So far, two first-generation universities, one in the Southwest and another in the Southeast, have pencilled Senator Barau in for the award of honourary doctorate degrees.

    For Senator Barau, CFR, this is just the tip of the iceberg. More bills and initiatives are coming to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR’s quest to tackle the country’s challenges head-on for the benefit of all and for Nigeria to reclaim its rightful place in the Comity of Nations.

    • Mudashir is the Special Adviser to Senator Barau on Media and Publicity
  • Barau and APC membership drive in Kano

    Barau and APC membership drive in Kano

    In the last two years, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has embarked on an aggressive membership drive for the party in Kano State. Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the impact of his efforts.

    After the 2023 general election, Senate President Jibrin Barau, was locked in sober reflection on the fate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, a state reputed for its high population and formidable voting strength.

    He discovered that for another electoral defeat to be averted, the party needed to put his house in order and embarked on membership drive on a grand scale.

    Barau swung into action. He started wooing many notable New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) chieftains at the grassroots. He expanded the scope of his empowerment programmes. He also sentitised the people to the need to suport the Tinubu administration so that more dividends of democracy would be attracted to the state.

    Barau, described as the people’s General by the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has galvanised the chapter and offered hope.

    His efforts paid off. Many opposition members started defecting to the party, holding on to the promise to guarantee effective harmonisation and sense of belonging. In a short time, the growing influence of the Deputy Senate President put the NNPP and the Kwankwsiyya Movement on edge. ahead of 2027 politics.

    Despite the influence of the NNPP as the ruling party in the commercial centre, Barau has refused to be intimidated. Although NNPP won the governorship and presidential elections, fought a good fight in Kano North, winningvhis senatorial seat and delivering the district to the president.

    Due to its defeat, APC was boxed into the opposition. Undettered by the blow of fate, Barau decided to stay in the gap. Since then, he has been the leading figure in maintaining the APC machineries.

    Apart from keeping the party’s soul together with the support of the national chairman, the state chairman, and other leaders, Barau has succeeded in wooing thousands of NNPP and Kwankwsiyya Movement top figures to the APC, to the surprise of their leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

    Read Also: Harnessing AI for Nigeria’s blue economy

    To observers, the foundation laid by the Deputy Senate President paved the way for the defection of Senator Kawu Sumaila, Representatives Kabiru Rurum (Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure) and Abdullahi Sani Rogo (Karaye/Rogo), and former Secretary to Kano State Government, Dr Baffa Bichi.

    Others defectors are former House of Representatives members Badamasi Ayuba (Danbatta/Makoda) and Sha’aban Sharada (Kano Municipal); former state lawmaker Zubairu Hamza Masu; and two former commissioners in the NNPP government, Muhammad Diggol and Abbas Sani Abbas.

    According to analysts, if Barau has not made his strategic interventions, Kano APC’s chance of survival  would have remained slim slin the state it governed for eight years.

    In a major political realignment, the 2023 Vice Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP),  Yusuf Buhari, an engineer, and the Kano State governorship candidate, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarawa, members of the Kano State Working Committee, 38 local government chairmen and secretaries, 13 house of assembly and 6 house of representatives candidates have defected to the APC.

    The defection of the SDP’s chieftains was facilitated by Barau The event was held at the REIZ Continental Hotel, Abuja, on Tuesday.

    The move marked a major setback for the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who recently defected to the party.

    Barau said: “ Let me start by saying those who have been moving around, going around the country, trying to woo people to SDP, and thinking that their effort will give birth to a platform that will challenge the APC in the next election, the idea is confirmed to be dead on arrival.

    “Why do I say that? People have rejected that invitation. People have said no, we are not coming to your party. The former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and others, who have been mentioned have said no.”

    He commended the decampees for recognizing the progresses that are being recorded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Ganduje assured the defectors that they will be availed of all rights and privileges accorded all party members.

    Represented by the Deputy National Chairman (South),  Chief Emma Eneukwu, Ganduje described the defection as a transition “from darkness to light,” underscoring APC’s role as a beacon of transformative leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

    He described them as “political heavyweights” with deep grassroots connections, and praised them for aligning with a party dedicated to national renewal.

    He emphasized President Tinubu’s bold reforms across economic, social, and governance sectors, expressing confidence that Nigeria will emerge as one of the world’s most developed nations by the end of his tenure. 

    “APC is a party of inclusion, where every member enjoys equal rights to contest elections and contribute to nation-building,” Ganduje said.

    Former Kano State Governor Kabiru Gaya, said the SDP was already empty by the time El-Rufai joined it.

    “The party is dead because the Vice Presidential candidate is here, the Governorship Candidate of SDP is here, and all other stakeholders of SDP are here. So I’m sure today we are celebrating the burial of that party.

    “ I would say kudos to the Deputy Senate President for your effort to bring these important and heavyweight politicians to our party.”

    The former vice presidential candidate of the SDP, Yusuf Buhari, said the defectors were motivated to join the APC by the successes being recorded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “ The fact of the matter is that everything is very clear. When this government came into power under the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there were a lot of problems on the ground.

    “But after two years, we have started to see that these economic policies are yielding some fruits. The foreign exchange is beginning to stabilize. Prices of goods are coming down. Insecurity is being addressed by our military, by our brave armed forces. So hopefully, a lot of our men and women, especially in the rural areas, are going to go back to their farmlands, which is going to further reduce the cost of good prices,” he said.

    Also speaking, the former gubernatorial candidate of the SDP in Kano, Bala Muhammad Gwagwarwa said they decided to return to APC because the outstanding performance of President Tinubu in about two years.

    He thanked the Deputy Senate  President for laying the foundation for their defection.

    Since he became the number five citizen, the Deputy Senate President has expanded his intervention programmes to the 44 local government areas. The 70 beneficiaries of his foreign scholarship scheme are from the three senatorial districts. Another 300 graduates were recently selected from the three senatorial zones for domestic postgraduate scholarships.

    The programme offers opportunities for academic growth, research and human capital development in the various fields of science and technology.

    Stakeholders lauded the senator’s determination to provide the youth with the needed education to compete favourably in the modern world, education being the sine qua non for meaningful development.

    Lauding the initiatives, Abbas said they have rescued the Kano APC and put the NNPP on the edge.

    Speaking during the distribution of  61 cars and 1,137 motorcycles to APC leaders across the councils, the state chairman highlighted Barau’s role in sustaining the party since it was displaced by the NNPP.

    “Barau is the senator for all in Kano State. He represents Kano North, but he is for the people of Kano Central, Kano South and everybody. Let me tell you that today, this man is the one sponsoring the party ever since we lost the election in Kano,” he said.

    Barau facilitated the defection of the ‘Coalition of Atiku Support Groups in the 19 Northern States’ during the 2023 general election. The feat earned commendation from Ganduje, who thanked him for encouraging people from other political parties to join APC.

    ”We have seen that distinguished Senator Barau is going beyond Kano. He is liberating those people, especially those who are committed to democracy. He is convincing them to join our party, not only from Kano State, but also in the northern part of this country, and the whole country. So, the distinguished Senator Barau is a real general. We assure you, Allah will order your steps,” he said.

    An APC chieftain, Abdulmajid Danbilki, said  Barau has succeeded in taming the NNPP in Kano, adding that it explains why its leaders’ quest to switch camps to the APC.

    “Senator Barau is the only politician from the North capable of challenging Kwankwaso and the NNPP. He has consistently confronted them through various interventions and policies.

    Danbilki described Barau as a man of high political rating, saying: “IIf anyone picks a candidate for the Kano governorship seat in 2027 other than Barau, we will not win.”

     “No one can deliver Kano like Senator Barau. He is a grassroots politician who understands the intricacies of politics at all levels. The entire northern Nigeria is proud of him,” he added.

  • Barau’s foundation shortlists 215 candidates for 2025 domestic postgraduate scholarships

    Barau’s foundation shortlists 215 candidates for 2025 domestic postgraduate scholarships

    The Barau Jibrin Foundation (BIJF) has shortlisted 215 candidates for its Postgraduate Domestic Scholarships for the 2025/2026 Academic Session.

    Deputy Senate President Barau, in his efforts to expand educational access for young Nigerians, launched both foreign and domestic scholarship programs. Seventy students are currently pursuing postgraduate programs in India.

    A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Ismail Mudashir, said the shortlisted candidates for the domestic postgraduate programs are invited for interview and screening on 20th to 21st April 2025 at the Bayero University, Kano School of Continuing Education (SCE), G/Dutse, K/Taya, Kano.

    He said: “On January 6 this year, the Barau I Jibrin Foundation opened the application for its Domestic Postgraduate Scholarship. The shortlisted applicants have been selected from the 44 local government areas of Kano State for physical screening and interview. 

    ” The program offers a unique opportunity for academic growth, research and human capital development in various fields of science and technology. 

    Read Also: Beneficiaries of Senator Barau’s foreign scholarship depart for India

    “The programs include M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence, M.Sc. Robotics Technology, M.Sc. Cyber Security, M.Sc. Data Science, M.Sc. Information Technology, M.Sc. Software Development, M.Sc. Mineral Exploration, M.Sc. Hydrogeology & Environmental Geology, M.Sc. Oil and Gas Operations, M.Sc. Applied Geophysics, M.Sc. Metallurgical and Material Engineering, M.Sc. Climate Change Management, M.Eng. Mechatronic and M.Eng. Intelligence System.”

    Mudashiru said six universities, Bayero University Kano, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and University of Nigeria Nsukka, have been selected for the program. 

    He added: “We will continue to devise means to provide our youth with the needed education to compete favourably in the modern world. Education is the sine qua non for meaningful development.”

  • Plan to scuttle APC’s chances in 2027 through SDP dead on arrival, say Barau, Ganduje, others

    Plan to scuttle APC’s chances in 2027 through SDP dead on arrival, say Barau, Ganduje, others

    The 2023 vice presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Yusuf Buhari, alongside the party’s Kano State governorship candidate, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarawa, as well as members of the Kano State Working Committee (SWC) and 38 local government chairmen and secretaries yesterday dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).The mass defection is seen as a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 general election.

    Other members of the Kano State chapter of the SDP who also joined APC include 13 House of Assembly and six House of Representatives candidates.

    Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau received the defectors into APC at an event that took place at REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja. The mass defection is seen as a major setback for the former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who recently joined the SDP ahead of the 2027 general election.

    Barau said the defection of SDP’s heavyweights in Kano into the APC showed that the mission to use the party to scuttle the chances of the APC in 2027 was dead on arrival.

    Read Also: Fubara, Amaewhule gone with Tinubu’s emergency declaration

    APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who warmly welcomed the prominent defectors, assured them that they would get all the rights and privileges accorded fellow party members. Represented by the ruling party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, the national chairman described the defection as a transition “from darkness to light”.

    He said it underscored APC’s role as a beacon of transformative leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    A former Kano State governor, Senator Kabiru Gaya, told the gathering that the SDP was already empty by the time El-Rufai joined it.

    Also, Yusuf Buhari said he and the other defectors moved to the APC following the successes the party had recorded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Gwagwarwa said he joined the return to APC, given the outstanding performance of President Tinubu within less than two years in office.

  • Jibrin Barau to host double wedding

    Jibrin Barau to host double wedding

    Deputy President of the Senate and one of the influential politicians in Kano State, Senator Jibrin Barau, is not leaving any stone unturned this December as he plans to wrap up the year with the wedding of two of his children in one day.

    The grassroots politician who has shown his political acumen over the years has remained consistent in whatever he does; and at the National Assembly, he is widely loved by his colleagues for his calm nature and also his open arms and listening ears. Come December 13, Barau’s son JIbrin Barau Jibrin will be walking down the aisle with the daughter of the Sarkin Bichi, His Highness, Nasir Ado Bayero, Maryam Ado Bayero; while his daughter, Aisha Jibrin, would get married to the son of Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, the president of Azman Group, Abubakar Yunusa, at holy matrimony which is set to hold at the palace of Sarkin Bichi, Gian Sarki Na Nasarawa, Kano.

    Read Also: EFCC fires two staff over corrupt practices

    It’s a thing of joy for Barau but also an emotional one for him as his lovely daughter is changing her status to being a wife while his son is also adding another member to the Jibrin Barau Family. We gathered that he has shared an invitation to top guests as Senate members would be attending while other political associates have ticked the date on their calendar ready to shut down Kano State for one of their own. We also gathered that the politician has employed the services of top vendors who will treat his guests to royalty with  the meals, the drinks and others.

    Barau who is having a double wedding using a stone to kill two birds has also vowed that those attending his event would have a memory they won’t forget in a hurry as he is going to display his hospitable nature for the world to see.

  • Era of ‘red caps’ over in Kano soon, says Barau

    Era of ‘red caps’ over in Kano soon, says Barau

    • Welcomes hundreds of defecting NNPP members

    • Doguwa to Kwankwaso: Tinubu laying new foundation for Nigeria

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday enlarged its coast in Kano State, following the defections of thousands of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) members to the party.

    Hailing the defections, Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, said it marked the beginning of the end of “Red cap” movement in the state.

    Red cap is the symbolic dress code of Kwankwashiya Movement, whose members are followers of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso,  leader of NNPP.

    Receiving the defectors in Kano who visited him at the National Assembly, Barau said the defecting grassroots leaders of NNPP took the right decision.

    He said it would soon be rare to see someone with a red cap, the red symbol on the streets.

    Read Also: CBN sells $543.5m to stabilise FX market in September

    Barau said the rate at which the NNPP leaders and members are trooping to the APC is a testament to the growing popularity of the party, being in the opposition.

    He said: “I will continue to receive NNPP members rushing to join our party. Politics is a game of numbers. If you have a political party and members of other parties are not joining you, it means there is a problem.

    “The NNPP members are attracted to the APC by our numerous interventions across critical spheres of our state and the country at large by the President Tinubu administration.

    “At the formation of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu went across the country to woo people to the party.  And this was why the party became popular in the country. We will continue receiving NNPP and other party members regardless of what some people say.”

    Barau added: “Time will come. You will be looking for someone with a red cap, the symbol of the Kwankwasiyya, and you won’t see any in Kano. We will get there soon.

    “We are doing this to lay a solid foundation for our party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others to win the presidential, governorship, national and state House of Assembly elections come 2027 in Kano and beyond,” he was quoted in a statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir.

    APC Deputy National Women Leader Hajiya Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim, who witnessed the defection, commended Barau, describing him as a blessing to the APC, the people of Kano State, the North and the country.

    “The massive support our party is receiving in Kano shows the days of the NNPP are numbered in the state. We will take back our state at the poll come 2027, by Allah’s grace,” she said.

    The Deputy Senate President has received members of the APC Amalgamated Support Groups in Kano State at the National Assembly.

    Under the leadership of Hon. Shehu Isa Direba, the group was at the National Assembly to reaffirm their support and appreciation for Senator Barau over his various interventions in the state.

    The group, comprising former LG chairmen, party stakeholders, farmers, businessmen, and civil servants, among others, said that with the support and interventions of Senator Barau, APC  is no longer considered an opposition party in Kano.

    “APC members are envied in Kano State by the NNPP, the ruling party in the state, because of Senator Barau’s numerous interventions, projects and programmes,” the group said.

    Meanwhile, former leader of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was laying the foundation for a better and more prosperous Nigerian nation.

    Doguwa was reacting to a statement credited to the presidential candidate of the NNPP in the 2023 elections that Nigerians will vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 polls.

    Kwankwaso, while speaking at a political gathering in Kano on Thursday, said Nigerians, especially Northerners, are tired of the APC and would change it in the 2027 presidential election.

    He said since taking over the affairs of the country over 16 months ago, President Tinubu has been working genuinely to correct the fiscal misalignments, the bane of the country’s economic downturn.

    The former House leader who is also the Leader of the Northern caucus in the House, said Kwankwaso was yet to recover from the defeat he suffered during the 2023 presidential election thereby hallucinating about the 2027 elections.

    Doguwa said Kwankwaso should stop the hallucinations and face his imminent retirement from the political scene in 2027.

    He said “At a political gathering on Thursday, my colleague in the House of Representatives in the 3rd Republic, Kwankwaso, took his hallucination to the moon when he said Nigerians are tired of APC and will change it in 2027. As we all know,  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not leaving any stone unturned in his quest to return our country to the path of progress and prosperity for the benefit of all”.

    According to him, President Tinubu took over the mantle of leadership in the country 16 months ago when the economy was in terrible shape in all spheres.

    Doguwa stressed that Under President Tinubu, the country has attracted foreign direct investments worth more than $30 billion in 16 months. He said President Tinubu has paid a forex backlog of $7 billion and cleared the ways and means of over N30 trillion he inherited from the last administration.

    “President Tinubu reduced the debt service ratio from 97 to 68 per cent and kept our foreign reserve at $37 billion. Only this week,  the Economic Stabilisation Bills have been transmitted to us in the National Assembly to stimulate our productive capacity and create more jobs and prosperity in the country,” he said.

  • Jibrin Barau is a proud father

    Jibrin Barau is a proud father

    One of the joys of every parent is to witness their children do good things in their lifetime and when a child does things of pride to the delight of his or her parents, it’s essential to give such a child the necessary support and as the parent, the child will be an object of pride to you.

     If you ride a horse in the heart of the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, the horse will not stumble as he is currently witnessing the proverbial seventh heaven. He is very happy that his joy knows no bound because his son Abdulai tied nuptial with his beautiful bride last week Friday, August 18, 2023 amidst pomp and pageantry in the ancient city of Kano state.

    Read Also: Davido, Burna Boy get four nominations each for Trace Awards 2023

    The event had top political bigwigs, and businessmen converged to share in the distinguished Senator’s pot full of joy. Abdullahi Barau married Bilikisu Madaki, daughter of Aliyu Madaki, the House of Representative member representing Dala Federal Constituency, Kano State.

    It was gathered that Abdulai and Bilikisu started their love story in their secondary school days and kept in contact till they got married last week despite their parents being on different sides politically.

     Other dignitaries spotted at the event includes the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, presidential candidate of the Labour Party; Peter Obi, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Aliko Dangote, Aminu Dantata; Governor of Jigawa, Umar Namadi, Deputy governor of Kano, Aminu Abdulsalam; senators, traditional rulers, clerics, among others.