In Sheka ward of Kumbotso Local Government Area, the hum of sewing machines and the rhythm of scissors cutting fabric tell a story of resilience.
Here, Abdullahi Gali Shitu, popularly known as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, spends his days supervising apprentices, cutting cloth, and stitching garments.
Until March 2026, Basaf was the chairman of Kumbotso LGA of Kano State, but recently chose to return fully to tailoring, a trade he insists offers more stability than politics.
Basaf told Daily Trust that he returned to his tailoring business to send a strong message to people, insisting that politics should not be the sole focus.
He believed that politicians must have a trade that sustains them and view politics as just an opportunity to serve people, rather than as a full-time means of livelihood.
In a country where you hardly see a politician doing what many will call a small business or may never want to be associated with it even after leaving office, Basaf chose to make a difference.
‘Tailoring funded my political campaign’
Basaf’s tailoring journey began in his youth and has spanned more than a decade. He recalls personally buying fabrics, sewing them, and selling them himself.
Even while combining farming, painting, and small business ventures, tailoring remained his favourite anchor.
“Tailoring is not a small trade. It is a major one. It sustains livelihoods. Even in politics, my tailoring business helped me financially to support my campaigns and organisations. Without it, it would have been impossible to sustain political activities,” he said.
Today, his shop employs about twenty people. His apprentices see him as a mentor and employer, and his vision is to expand further.
“My goal is to modernise tailoring, establish a garment company, and employ fifty or more people. I want to contribute to the economy,” he explained.
Why I returned to tailoring’
Basaf’s return to tailoring is deliberate. He said he wants young people to see dignity in trades. “My message is that they should not despise trades; they should value and modernise them,” he said.
He believes that tailoring offers more stability than politics. “Value your trade more than politics, because it sustains you and enables you to support your political activities,” he advised.
For him, tailoring is not just livelihood but philosophy. It is a way to show that honest work can outlast the uncertainties of political office.
Basaf said even with his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science, coupled with his pool of networks that will earn him more befitting white collar jobs, he chose to go back to his tailoring because it has always been his passion, and he wishes to build it to a greater level and make more impact on society.
Political background
Although tailoring is his focus, Basaf’s political journey provides context to his story. His career was shaped by admiration for the Kwankwasiyya movement of Senator Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
He founded Kwankwasiyya Reporters in 2015, one of the strongest voices promoting the former Kano governor’s political movement on social media, served as state chairman of the Alliance National Party (ANP), contested for a Senate seat under it in 2019, and later joined NNPP, where he was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Information.
In 2024, he contested and won the chairmanship of Kumbotso LGA. During his one year and three months in office, Basaf established schools, facilitated hospitals, and sponsored the education of over 2,000 students.
But in March 2026, the Kano State High Court nullified his Certificate of Return, ruling that it was issued in violation of an earlier order.
The court declared Ali Musa (Hardworker) the rightful winner and ordered his immediate swearing in. Basaf’s tenure ended abruptly.
The ruling was swift and decisive. Because the certificate had been issued in defiance of a subsisting judgment, the court insisted on immediate compliance. Within days, Basaf was replaced with Hardworker.
Life after office
For Basaf, the court ruling was not the end but a turning point.
He returned to tailoring full‑time, not as a fallback but as a statement.
“Tailoring is a noble profession, even greater than holding political office,” he said.
He continues to participate in politics, but tailoring is his priority. His shop has become a hub of activity, employing young people and producing garments that reach beyond Kano.
His ambition, according to him, is to build a garment company that rivals factories abroad.
Basaf insists that tailoring offers more stability than politics.
“Politics can change overnight. You can be in the office Today and out tomorrow. But tailoring remains. It feeds you, it supports your family, and it allows you to help others,” he said.
He sees tailoring as a way to inspire young people to balance politics with trade. “Whatever one does, if they have a trade, they should value it above politics,” he advised.
He, however, ruled out the possibility of not coming back to the political arena, arguing that no one could run away from politics.
(Daily Trust)
