Yahaya Abdulkarim

Malam Yahaya Abdulkarim was elected governor of Sokoto State, Nigeria between January 1992 and November 1993, during General Ibrahim Babangida's attempted transition to democracy.[1] After the return to democracy in 1999, he became a power in the Zamfara State branch of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and served for a while in the cabinet of president Olusegun Obasanjo.[2]

Yahaya Abdulkarim
Governor of Sokoto State
In office
January 1992 – November 1993
Preceded byBashir Salihi Magashi
Succeeded byYakubu Mu'azu
Personal details
Born (1944-08-21) 21 August 1944
Talata Mafara, Zamfara State, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Political partyPeople's Democratic Party

Early career

Yahaya Abdulkarim was born on 21 August 1944 in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.[3] His father was a Native Authority officer.[4] He joined the civil service of the North-Western State as a teacher, and held various positions before retiring in 1989 as Director-General in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning of Sokoto State.[3]

Governor of Sokoto State

Abdulkarim was elected governor of Sokoto State, Nigeria in January 1992, representing the National Republican Convention (NRC). He was forced out of office in November 1993 by the military regime of General Sani Abacha.[1] During his period of office, he feuded with Attahiru Bafarawa, the NRC party chairman in the state. The feud persisted, and when Bafarawa became Governor of Sokoto State in 1999, he followed a policy of neglecting all roads and buildings built by the Abdulkarim administration.[5] In 1992, Abdulkarim signed the bill establishing the Talata Mafara Polytechnic, later renamed the Abdu Gusau Polytechnic.[6]

Later career

In September 2002, Abdulkarim was appointed to a sub-committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission to monitor a multi-billion naira developmental project that had been launched in the nine oil-producing states.[7]

Abdulkarim was appointed Minister of State for Works in president Olusegun Obasanjo's cabinet in July 2005.[8] He replaced Alhaji Saleh Shehu in this position.[9] In November 2006, he unfolded plans for an extensive and accelerated roads recovery programme to target the Christmas season.[10] When the Minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe, was dismissed in March 2006, he was promoted to Minister of Works. He was later subject to a Senate inquiry into his conduct while in this office.[11]

He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Zamfara State on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform in the April 2007 elections.[12] By 2007, the Zamfara State PDP had split into two factions, one led by Abdulkarim and the other by former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau. In March 2008, Abdulkarim led a delegation from Zamfara to ask the PDP national chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, to prevent Gusau from interfering in the party's affairs.[2]

In October 2008, it was reported that he was being considered for a ministerial position in the cabinet of president Umaru Yar'Adua.[13]

References
  1. "Nigerian States". WorldStatesmen. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  2. Chuks Okocha (28 March 2008). "Gusau – PDP Members Take Protest to Abuja". ThisDay. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  3. Ademola Adeyemo (10 November 2009). "Sixteen Years After – Where Are Babangida's Civilian Governors?". ThisDay. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  4. Golu Timothy (18 June 2009). "I Am Not A Yoruba Man – Former Sokoto Gov". Leadership Nigeria. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  5. "Bafarawa: Traits from his past". The Nation. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  6. "HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLYTECHNIC". Abdu Gusau Polytechnic. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  7. Niyi Bello (16 September 2002). "Governors raise team to monitor NNDC projects". Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  8. "As Obasanjo Reshuffles Cabinet... Ministers Under Probe for Corruption". BNW News. 14 July 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  9. Yomi Odunuga, Sam Akpe and Isine Ibanga (14 July 2005). "FG removes 10 ministers • Ezekwesili, others get portfolios". OnlineNigeria. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  10. "Works Ministry Repairs for Roads Yuletide Season". Daily Champion. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  11. "Senate Ad Hoc Committee Recommendation on Transportation". The Guardian. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  12. "FG reviews contract for Gusau – Sokoto road, says guber candidate". Daily Triumph. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  13. Habeeb I. Pindiga (31 October 2008). "Kazir, Lafiagi May Make New Cabinet". Daily Trust. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
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