By Yusuf Adam
A renowned Kano seasoned politician, Alhaji Bello Isa Bayero is dead. He died in the early hours of Thursday at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
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An ardent political associate of the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, late Bayero died at the age of 85 after a protracted illness.
Late Bello Isah Bayero was born and brought up in Kano into the family of the late Son of the Emir of Kano Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero. He had both junior and senior primary education in Kano.
Late Bayero also attended Unity Teachers College, an institution that was later renamed Wudil Teachers College. After graduation, Bayero was sent to Kaduna for a short-term training. While in Kaduna he worked with Arab Brothers Company as a sales manager.
Later the late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero sponsored him to England to study ordinary and advance level diploma in economics and political science respectively.
Though he was a close associate to the late emir Bayero, however, his radical behavior prevented him from getting any traditional tittle from the late emir.
Though late Bayero started politics right from schools, however, he joined active politics after he retired from government. He contested for senate two times. He was also among the few politicians persuaded Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso to contest for governor and senate seats respectively. The seasoned politician contested for Kano central senatorial district twice.
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In 1998, the seasoned politician contested for the seat under the platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP), but withdrawn for late senator Kura Muhammad few hours to the primary election. He also contested for the same seat under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011 but lost he lost the party’s ticket to Senator Basheer Lado at primary election.
Apart from Senator Kwankwaso, late Bayero worked with many politicians within and outside Kano state including the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Abacha, Colonel Jafaru Isah and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje among others.
In his condolence message, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who commiserated with the family and Kano Emirate over the death of the elder statesman, described the deceased late Bayero as an elder and astute politician.
“We received, with deepest shock, the death of Alhaji Bello Isah Bayero, who died when the state and the nation needed him the most. He was a gentleman par excellence, whose political leadership helped in the restoration of our democracy.
“As a gentleman who trained many in many human endeavors, we missed him the most. His death is a great lost to Nigerian democracy, our traditional institution and political leadership.”
Ganduje said Bayero was an embodiment of humility, excellence, productivity, openness, transparency, accountability and a father to the state and Nigerian democracy.
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“What remains for us now is to pray and continue praying for him. May Allah SubhanaHu Wa Ta’ala forgive all his wrongdoings and reward all his good deeds with Jannatul-Firdaus. On behalf of the government and people of Kano state, I am sending this condolence visit to his immediate families, our royal institution, friends and all other well-wishers of the late elder statesman Alhaji Bello Isa Bayero,” Ganduje said.
Late Bello Isa Bayero is survived by two wives and eight children. His funeral prayer took place at Emir’s palace, Kano shortly after Juma’at prayer.
