Tenth of April will remain indelible in the annals of history as the day the first civilian Governor of old Kano State Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Rimi died.
He passed on in mysterious circumstances on his way home after attending the coronation of the Emir of Dass in neighbouring northern state of Bauchi.
Both the young and old wept uncontrollably as an icon has gone a demise which created a huge vacuum that will be hard to fill in the political history of the country.
Devoid of hesitation RIMI admirably called Maigida, Fari ba Kai farin banza ba na Sa a Maisa’a was a person whose political interactions transcended the shores of Nigeria as he was once picked to deliver lecture by former president George Bush jnr, political organisation in the United State one of the few Africans to be accorded such privileged in recent time.
Rimi, a holder of Masters Degree in International Relations was deeply rooted in radical and ideological polititics, morally and intellectually sound and socially concerned with the challenges facing commoners within the length and breadth of the wider environment and beside that fluent in both Hausa and English and above all a person that is muchly concerned with issue based politics likewise a detribalized Nigerian.
Maigida, was by and large a hero and a giant in the field of politics which a philosopher described it as war without bloodshed in view of his charisma and fearlessness.
This attributes endeared him to most people not only in Kano alone but the country as a whole.
When he first ventured into active politics during the first republic he stepped in with the sole aim of fighting for the right of the downtrodden a situation that pitched him against the ruling class which are fond of oppressing the broader majority.
on several occasions this singular act caused him many challenges which led to his incarceration.
An apostle of fairness, justice and orderliness in his choosen profession this attitude put him at loggerhead with certain individuals across the society but later turned to be blessing in disguise in view of how he was highly celebrated by both the young and the old wherever he delivered addresses.
He also preached the gospel of practicing politics without bitterness as though by late Waziri Ibrahim.
That was why regardless of the staunch existing opposition between him and the ruling NPN at the centre there is ties between him and people like Ibrahim Tahir and Lawal Kait all of blessed memories.
Apart from that regardless on frequent attack on Shagari led government he was said to be the first person that usually sent morning greetings to the former president.
Late Dr Abubakar Rimi
Despite being the first civilian Governor of defunct Kano likewise the most youngest to assume the coveted seat when he was 39,his wish was not of occupying the seat but rather vieing for Kano south senatorship but as a phrase says man proposes God disposes, the disqualification of Engineer Salihi Iliyasu of blessed memory propelled the PRP to nominate him to contest the post.
Thus at the polls he trounced his closest rival Alhaji Ibrahim El Yakubu of the NPN and on first October 1979 he took oath of office before thousands of people among them PRP leader Malam Aminu Kano at Kano race course.
One of the most active and voicwferous Governors of the second republic particularly within the progressive Governors circle, the late political figure, within less than four years he developed old Kano to a stage that one could not expect.
While speaking in an exclusive interview reverred Islamic Scholar Ibrahim Khalil described Rimi as the best administrator in the history of Kano in view of the catalogue of achievements he recorded within a short period of time.
But what motivated the array of successes this could not be unconnected with the fact that his cabinet team where below the age of forty excluding few and all university graduates and beside that the legislators although educationally backward were highly committed in serving their people to the best of their ability.
Rimi
The fire brand politician being jovial, he was tenacious,humble,bold and humble in his interactions, that was why way back during Abacha era when he was Minister of Communication he put a stop to the maltreatment Meted to staffers of the outfit by a onetime fearsome Post Master General Mr Nathaniel Zome such kind of behaviour also puts him at dagger’s dawn with military Head of States General Sani Abacha when he refused to redeem his pledge of handing over to an elected civilian administration a situation that provoked the Military ruler to detain him.
The late political actor was adjudged to be a person of unassuming qualities as on most occasions he present gifts unannounced and even warned beneficiaries of his benevolence against describing him as the donor.
The deceased who was the first Governor in the history of Nigeria to abdicate the juicy seat of Governor voluntarily and defect from his party , when he stepped down he has no fifty thousand of his own and even the house he relocated to he owned it through Bank loan.
Way back in 1983,when he recontested the Governorship seat it was widely believe that he did not loss to Senator Sabotage Bakin Zuwo but to pressure mounted by president Shehu Shagari’s administration at the centre on state resident Electoral Commissioner Hafsi Iro Inko to do their bidding.
When the result was made public, he vowed not to seek redress at the Election Petition Tribunal and enjoined his supporters to exercise patience over what happened.
Barely three months, the new administration was ousted in a bloodless coup courtesy of General Muhammad Buhari that aborted the second republic.
As the death of the reputable politician was commemorated it is our wish that God in his infinite mercy, will erase his travails and grant him free access to paradise.
