Former Chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Area, Abdullahi Gali Shitu, popularly known as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, says his return to tailoring after leaving office is a deliberate message that politics should never be treated as a permanent profession or the only means of livelihood.
Basaf, whose tenure as council chairman ended in March 2026 following a court judgment, said his tailoring business has remained his most dependable source of income and played a crucial role in financing his political journey long before he held public office.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Trust, the former council chairman said he resumed work at his tailoring shop immediately after leaving office to demonstrate that vocational skills remain valuable regardless of one’s political status.
“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,” Basaf said.
He noted that the decision was also aimed at changing the mindset of politicians who abandon their professions after assuming public office, stressing that elective positions are temporary while sustainable skills provide long-term economic security.
Basaf currently operates a tailoring shop in Sheka Ward, Kumbotso Local Government Area, where he supervises about 20 apprentices. He disclosed plans to transform the business into a garment manufacturing company capable of employing at least 50 people.
“My goal is to modernise tailoring, establish a garment company and employ fifty or more people. I want to contribute to the economy,” he said.
Encouraging young Nigerians to embrace vocational skills, Basaf said trades should not be looked down upon, describing them as reliable pathways to financial independence and entrepreneurship.
“My message is that they should not despise trades; they should value and modernise them,” he said.
He maintained that tailoring remains more dependable than politics because political offices are temporary and uncertain.
“Value your trade more than politics because it sustains you and enables you to support your political activities. Politics can change overnight. You can be in office today and out tomorrow. But tailoring remains. It feeds you, it supports your family, and it allows you to help others,” Basaf added.
Despite holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science, Basaf said his passion for tailoring never diminished, explaining that the profession had always been part of his identity.
Before becoming chairman of Kumbotso Local Government in the 2024 local government election, he founded the Kwankwasiyya Reporters platform in 2015, served as Kano State chairman of the Alliance National Party, contested for Kano South Senatorial District in 2019 and later joined the New Nigeria People’s Party, where he served as Senior Special Assistant on Information.
His tenure as council chairman ended in March 2026 after the Kano State High Court nullified his Certificate of Return and declared Ali Musa, popularly known as Hardworker, as the duly elected chairman.
Although he remains active in politics, Basaf said he has no intention of abandoning tailoring, insisting that public service should complement, not replace, a sustainable means of livelihood.
West Trybe reports that Basaf’s return to tailoring has reignited conversations about self-reliance, vocational skills and the importance of public office holders maintaining legitimate sources of income outside politics, as calls grow for leaders to promote entrepreneurship and economic independence across Northern Nigeria.
