Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar Karaye was the first Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly (1979-1983) and a one-time acting governor of the state under the regime of late Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi.
Born in 1937 in Karaye town, Karaye local government area of Kano state. The former speaker did his Elementary school in Karaye, preceded to Government Teachers’ College (GTC) Wudil and then Katsina College.
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He also attended the School for Arabic Studies (SAS), Kano and then Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria where read education.
Late Abdullahi Karaye joined civil service as a teacher and rose through ranks from a teacher to headmaster later to education secretary and then an education supervisor.
Karaye later transferred his service to the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) during the time of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and finally left NPA in 1978 and joined politics in 1979.
In the same 1979, Karaye registered with the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), contested election and won the seat of the Kano State House Assembly. While in the Assembly, he was elected speaker of the house and in same cadre, he was appointed acting governor of the Kano state, a position he held for a month or two before he finally left office in 1983 as the speaker.
Late Karaye as a speaker
As a speaker, late Karaye dealt with over 120 people as members of the state assembly then. Despite the size of the assembly, late Karaye was able to manage the house adequately. Whenever he talks to them, they will listen to him attentively and they always believe him. There was mutual understanding between the leadership of the house and the rest of the members during his time.
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How Late Karaye lost his sight as a speaker
Towards the end of his tenure as speaker, late Karaye lost his sight. It was said that he lost hight due to excessive reading. There was a time he had many files to treat on his table. So, he read many files on that fateful day. In fact, he could not leave office that day until around 2am. And on his way home an insect that was called Mairuwa in Hausa language hits his eyes and that was the beginning of his blindness.
Life after service
Immediately after he left office, late Karaye went back to his home town Karaye and reunited with other members of his family. The former speaker went back to Karaye because he did not own a house in Kano.
All he had in Kano was a single plot of land located at the UDB road in Nassarawa GRA. Though he owned the plot, but he could not afford to develop it while in government.
Late Karaye passed away on Monday, January 4, 2021
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Late Karaye died on Monday, January 4, 2021 at the age of 96 in his home town Karaye. A statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of Karaye Emirate, Malam Haruna Gunduwawa, said the deceased died after an illness.
The deceased has been buried according to Islamic injunctions. May Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljjananh Firdaus.
