Senator Abubakar Kyari
By Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad, Abuja
Senator Abubakar Abba Kyari, acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) is the son of the respected military Governor of the old North Central State- now Kaduna and Katsina states, Brigadier General Abba Kyari of blessed memory.
Senator Abubakar Kyari’s father attended Barewa College, Zaria for his secondary school education, his number was (B1001).
Before his posting as a Lieutenant Colonel and Military Governor of North Central state, he was the Commander of 5 Battalion under the Military regime of General Yakubu Gowon (Barewa (B783) in August 1967. He succeeded the office of the then Military Governor of Northern State, General Hassan Usman Katsina.
He led the expansion works for water supply, he started all the major trunk roads across the two states, built major hospitals and educational institutions and the Kaduna Central, now Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gunmi market.
During his eight-year tenure General Kyari increased the number of primary schools to 646 and secondary schools to 27 thereby led to increase in enrolment to 63 per cent. He executed many projects through direct labour.
General Kyari also established North Central State Cooperative Bank, which was later renamed the Nigeria Universal Bank, later the bank’s shareholders lost it to new owners, FCMB Plc.
Mallam Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa and Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Makarfi also served as the chief accountant of the bank before they became the governors of the state.
General Kyari instructed that any abandoned property which was intact should be rented off and the rent proceeds carefully safeguarded. Consequently, many easterners were delightfully surprised when they returned to the North Central State and to their properties especially those in Kaduna, Zaria, Funtua and Kafanchan.
When a part of the country refused to offer land, General Kyari gave land for the establishment of National Eye Centre in Kaduna.
When Brigadier Abba Kyari left Kaduna after almost eight years of service, he was not paid gratuity and did not draw pension from the State Government. Even while he was in office, he was paid only his military salaries. He did not take special allowance afterwards. He did not take car or any official furniture with him. No house was build for him by the state government. As was the official procedure, he never handled any public money, including the so-called security vote. Every financial transaction of the government was handled by designated officials.
Some of the aides of Abba Kyari were Alhaji Sani Zango Daura, Alhaji Mamman Nasir, Alhaji Garba Ja Abdulkadir, Malam Abbas Dabo Sambo and Alhaji Shehu Abbas among others.
As a retired General, he was a delegate at the1994 national constitutional conference and appointed Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the conference. He was appointed to the board of directors of First Bank of Nigeria, Standard Alliance Insurance and Merchant Bank of Commerce. He became chairman of Gamah Flour Mills and of Alif Engineering and Construction.
Abba Kyari passed away on November 25, 2018.
Similarly, until the recent victory and elevation as the Vice Chairman of the ruling political party, Senator Abubakar Kyari represented Borno North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
He was born on the historic date to the country on Armed Forces Remembrance day, January 15, 1963.
He attended Capital School Kaduna for his primary education from 1968 to 1974, and as his father, he attended Barewa College Zaria for his secondary education from 1974 to 1979.
Kyari obtained a bachelor’s degree (B.Sc.) in Economics from the University of Tennessee, in 1986 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with emphasis on Finance from Webster University, St. Louis Missouri, USA in 1989.
Senator Kyari’s political career started in 1996 when he became a founding member and Protem National Secretary of United Nigeria Congress (UNC), which eventually became the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP).
Senator Kyari was elected into many political positions, he was elected to the House of Representatives (UNCP) 1998. He was elected State Treasurer All Peoples Party (APP), Borno State between 1998 – 1999. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives (APP) 1999–2003
However, he was appointed as Commissioner Water Resources, Borno State 2003 to 2005, MD Rural Water Supply Agency, Borno State 2005 – 2007. He was appointed as Commissioner of Education, Borno State 2007 – 2008. He was for the second term appointed as Commissioner Water Resources, Borno State 2008 – 2010. He was transferred from Commissioner, Home Affairs and Information, 2010 – 2011, to Commissioner Works 2011 – 2011. He was later elevated to be Chief of Staff, Government House, Borno State 2011 – 2014
He was elected Senator under APC, 2015 – 2019 and re-elected in 2019 until he was made the Vice Chairman of the ruling political party.
With wealth of experience in government and politics, especially since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, Senator Kyari is well positioned for the task as the Acting National Chairman of the APC to champion a new beginning for the party.
Married for 32 years, Senator Abubakar Kyari is blessed with four children and a grandson.