The recent article attempting to portray former Kano State Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jibrin Yusuf (J.Y), as the so-called “savior” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rano-Kibiya-Bunkure is not just exaggerated but a calculated attempt to rewrite a narrative that the people of the constituency do not recognize.
Let’s set the record straight. J.Y may have resources and goodwill within his small circle, but he remains a newcomer to the political landscape of this constituency—an outsider largely disconnected from the deep grassroots networks that define political relevance here. His emergence as a supposed party stabilizer did not result from long-term engagement or leadership but from a political vacuum created when seasoned politicians like Rt. Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum made strategic decisions that J.Y neither understood nor influenced.
In fact, even in his own ward—Rurum Tsohon Gari— J.Y’s presence is hardly felt. He lacks the political maturity to appreciate the diversity of Rano, Kibiya, and Bunkure. His alleged history of nepotism and tribal insensitivity has limited his ability to build bridges beyond his immediate ethnic enclave. For someone who cannot even unite his own ward delegates, it is delusional to portray him as the architect of an entire political structure.
What we are witnessing is not a political revival but an attempt to brand personal philanthropy as party strength. Politics is not just about distributing money or settling bills; it is about trust, followership, and long-term investment in people—something leaders like Kabiru Rurum have done for decades. J.Y is not known to the average voter in Rano market, the rice farmers of Bunkure, or the youth groups in Kibiya. His philanthropic gestures may exist, but they have never translated into genuine political acceptance.
Compare that with Hon. Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, a grassroots political figure whose cross-party appeal defies even the strongest opposition. During elections, people from the APC, PDP, PRP, and even non-partisan voters turned out in large numbers to support him—not because of money but because he listens, leads, and delivers.
Rurum’s defection from the APC was not just a political move—it was a signal of the frustration many genuine stakeholders in the constituency felt toward a party that handed over strategic roles to individuals with no community grounding. If anything, J.Y’s arrival weakened the base further, forcing true political actors to regroup elsewhere.
It is almost laughable to hear claims that J.Y “stood firm” during the defections. The truth is, he had nowhere else to go. His decision to remain in the APC wasn’t about loyalty; it was about convenience—and perhaps, a longing for political relevance he has never been able to earn through merit. While others were organizing town halls, reconciling factions, and sponsoring skill empowerment schemes, he was posting pictures of food donations and calling it “mobilization.”
No amount of manufactured praise can substitute genuine acceptance by the people. Political capital is not built by paying secretariat rents or distributing campaign vehicles; it is earned over time by being visible, consistent, and accountable. Those close to the ground know the truth: J.Y did not save the APC. He merely occupied a vacuum until real stakeholders returned.
The 2027 elections will not be won with poetry or by flaunting philanthropic CVs. They will be won through real records, voter trust, and grassroots mobilization. And in that equation, J.Y remains untested, untrusted, and politically overstated.
This constituency deserves better than this fictional heroism. Let’s focus on real unity, not manufactured messiahs. Let’s reward competence, not convenience.
The people are watching.
The structures are intact.
The verdict is coming.
Garba Ubale Kankarofi wrote this piece from Kano.
