Ghali Na’Abba: Exit of a Dogged Reps’ Speaker and Sticker for Equity
By Ozumi Abdul
Indeed, one thing that Nigerians will remember the twilight of the year 2023 for is the glorious exit of Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Aba. Na’Aba, who emerged as the second Speaker of the lower chamber of the National Assembly few months after the advent of the Fourth Republic, passed away on Wednesday, 27th December 2023, aged 65.
It is trite to say that he died at a time when the country is in need of his elderly guidance, wisdom and direction. His demise is one that no one saw coming, as he had shown no sign of any incapacitation when former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State visited his Abuja residence on August 1, 2022.
Born on 27 September 1958, the young Ghali Na’Abba grew up in Tudun Wada, Kano City of Kano Municipal Local Government.
His father was a firm disciplinarian and an Islamic scholar, who taught him virtues of hard work, entrepreneurship, forthrightness, audacity, sincerity, dynamism, liberal disposition, prudence, modesty and strong religious inclination.
His early education was at Jakara Primary School Kano, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1969.
He later attended Rumfa College, Kano for his West African School Certificate and was also at School of Preliminary Studies, Kano, between 1974 and 1976, before gaining admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in October, 1976.
He completed a postgraduate programme on Leadership and Good Governance at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in the United States in 2004.
After his university education and a one-year compulsory National Youth Service, prior to political odyssey, Ghali, in 1980 joined his father’s chain of companies. His business interests ranged from importation of goods, manufacturing to publishing. Thus, at first he became, Secretary, Na’Abba Commercial Trading Company Limited and late, Managing Director, Manifold Limited
Director, Quick Prints Limited and
Managing Director, Hinterland Resources Limited.
As a student of Mallam Aminu school of good governance, nation building and transparency in politics he became a notable politician in Kano state and Nigeria in general.
He joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 during its formative period. He emerged the party’s candidate in April 1999 National Assembly election in Kano Municipal Federal Constituency of Kano state and won the election to represent the Federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
With the victory and support of other House members-elect from Kano and North West geo-political zone, he pursued the role as Speaker of the House. Although he amassed substantial support from his colleagues and party leaders, he bowed to counsel and conceded to Ibrahim Salisu Buhari, who later emerged as first Speaker of the Fourth Republic House of Representatives. He was thus appointed the House Committee Chairman on Appropriations.
Buhari’s tenure was short-lived. Following his resignation due to certain misdemeanors, the House was thus faced with the arduous challenge of electing a leader that has the capacity and political will and skill of instilling sanity in the House, restoring its integrity and designing and pursuing veritable legislative framework. The mantle of leadership fittingly fell on Ghali Umar Na’Abba. The House collectively struck an unprecedented consensus and made Ghali the Speaker.
Although manifestly dynamic and proactive at home as speaker, Na’Abba ensured that he replicated the same at international level. This accounted for the numerous but particularly critical parliamentary positions he occupied at international level during his four-year stint as speaker. A checklist includes:
Vice President, Conference of Speakers of West African Parliaments
Vice President, Global Parliamentarians on Habitat
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Vice President, African Region, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Vice President, African Parliamentary Union
President Conference of Speakers of West African Parliaments
President, African Region, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
President, African Parliamentary Union
President, African Regional Council, Global Forum for Parliamentarian on Habitat
In April 2003, he sought a re-election into the House of Representatives on the platform of People’s Democratic Party. The Presidency that brazenly lost the battle of removing him as Speaker extended the animosity to his re-election bid.
The Presidency’s fear was that given his level of performance in four years in the House and his high popularity rating, if he should be allowed to win the election to return to the House he would logically re-emerge Speaker. Essentially, this resulted in the regrettable conspiracy to ambush him to lose the election. This time again, the backlash of the perfidy expanded and consumed PDP in the state as the party lost to All Nigeria People’s Party.
Following the manipulations orchestrated by some of the party leaders which resulted in his loss of 2003 National Assembly election and perceived growing injustice in the party at that time which made the party to fall far short of his idea of a political party as enumerated above, Na’Abba decided to leave the party in protest with other like minds for Action Congress of Nigeria in 2006. When it became obvious that the key leaders who perpetuated the injustice had begun to give way, he returned to PDP, three years later.
As an affirmed progressive politician, the obvious derailment of PDP yet again in 2014 as evidenced in the mass exodus of leaders from the party forced Na’Abba to leave the party after consulting widely.
He joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), which predictably succeeded in displacing PDP at federal level and several states.
In recognition of his outstanding record in politics, pioneering parliamentary independence and development of the legislature and profound defence of democracy, rule of law and the constitution, Na’Abba has bagged a flood-gate of awards from the government, civil society groups, organized labour, students unions, private business organizations, political associations and even foreign government agencies and so on. These are some of his awards:
National Honors Award of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) awarded by Goodluck Jonathan, President of Nigeria in 2010.
Award for building a formidable foundation for legislative Arm of government awarded by the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), the ruling party at that time
Honorary Citizen of Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Man of Integrity Award by Students Union of University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Award of Excellence for upholding the tenets of democracy in Nigeria by Abuja Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Defender of democracy by Bayero University Students Union.
Appreciation and Commendation Award by Nigeria Association of Indigenous Petroleum Exporters and Importers
Certificate of honour by Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria
Millennium Gold Award for youths development by International Youth Congress.
Pillar of Nigeria’s Legislative Award by Law Students Society, University of Jos
Millennium Hero Award by All Northern Youths Forum.
The late Speaker is also an embodiment of justice, fairness and equity. He is a firm and unrepentant believer of accountability and transparency in high premium, carrying all members along at all times.
He is the brain behind several politics manifestos designed and implemented to meet the critical needs and aspirations of the people, thereby engendering good governance and national development.
Indeed, when someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. And no doubt, the exquisite memory of Rt. Honourable Ghali Umar Na’Abba will eternally be treasured by generations to come.
