The Learner

By Muhsin Ibrahim If Engr Abba K. Yusuf wins this weekend’s election, which I hope he does, he has much work to do in Kano State. However, that is not the focus of this brief article. Instead, I want to write about the other critical work he needs to do: reorienting the Kwankwasiyya stalwarts. As I said the other day, our politics is fraught with immorality, thuggery, you name it. Believe it or not (and I know many among my friends will not), Kwankwasiyya followers are infamous for using rude language against their opponents. I have been insulted for ‘criticising’ Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the founder and grand leader of the movement. No one has ever insulted me more than some of these folks. They spare no one! Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf Thus, Engr. Abba should initiate programs to sanitise his followers. The work is enormous and will require considerable effort. However, something needs to be done to reorient the promising followers of this auspicious political movement. It worries me, in ...

By Muhsin Ibrahim Religion was central to Bola Tinubu's emergence as the APC's candidate for the 2023 presidential election. We discussed the issue as if it would not end. Since the 1993 annulled election of Abiola/Kingibe (both Muslims), no major candidate and his running mate have ever come from the same religion until now: Tinubu/Shettima (both Muslims). But, as the election approaches (we are, in fact, counting hours), only a few people talk about that. However, religion will play a significant role in the voting pattern. The wild popularity of Labour Party’s Peter Obi on social media and his appeal to foreign media has something to do with his religion. I know this may sound controversial, but it is so. The three other front candidates are Muslims, while Obi is a Christian. Besides this, I can't see a glaring difference between him and NNPP’s Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso per se. Tinubu and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar are in their 70s, while Kwankwaso and Obi are in their 60s. T...