On the day he left office, many expected the familiar script.
The convoy would disappear.
The phone calls would reduce.
Political allies would suddenly become strangers.
Then would come the television interviews blaming betrayal, rigging, or injustice.
Perhaps another appointment would eventually arrive.
Or maybe another political party would offer him a ticket.
That is how politics often works in Nigeria.
But Abdullahi Gali Shitu chose a different ending.
Instead of chasing another political office…
He went back to his sewing machine.
Not because he had no choice.
But because, according to him, politics was never supposed to feed him in the first place.
In a country where political office has become the dream career of millions, the former chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Area in Kano State has made a decision that is forcing Nigerians to ask an uncomfortable question: When did politics stop being public service and become full-time employment?
The Office Changed… The Trade Didn’t
Known widely as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, the former council chairman served until March 2026.
Like many politicians, he contested an election.
Unlike many politicians, he lost.
For countless public office holders, electoral defeat often marks the beginning of financial uncertainty.
Some spend years lobbying for appointments.
Others defect from one political party to another in search of relevance.
Some simply disappear from public life.
Basaf walked into his tailoring shop.
No drama.
No bitterness.
No complaints.
Just measurements, fabrics, scissors and sewing machines.
The Business That Never Betrayed Him
Speaking about his decision, Basaf explained something many Nigerians rarely hear from politicians.
He said his tailoring business financed much of his political journey.
Without it, he admitted, sustaining political activities would have been almost impossible.
Think about that for a moment.
The trade many people consider “ordinary” was actually funding political ambition.
While politics brought prestige…
Tailoring paid the bills.
It is a reversal of the story Nigerians have become used to.
The Dangerous Culture Nigeria Has Created
Somewhere along the line, politics stopped becoming an avenue for service.
It became an escape route.
Today, countless graduates dream less about creating businesses than winning elections.
Young people no longer ask, “What problem can I solve?”
They ask, “Who can help me get an appointment?”
Political office has become one of the country’s most sought-after careers.
Not because everyone wants to serve.
But because many believe it guarantees financial survival.
Basaf believes that mentality is deeply flawed.
According to him, every politician should have something that feeds them outside government.
Politics, he argues, should only provide an opportunity to serve people—not become a permanent source of income.
It is a philosophy that sounds almost revolutionary in today’s Nigeria.
Degrees Didn’t Change His Mind
Perhaps the most surprising part of his story is that tailoring isn’t his only qualification.
Basaf holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science.
Those credentials could have opened doors to government agencies, private organisations or consultancy roles.
Instead, he deliberately returned to the profession he loved long before politics entered his life.
For him, education did not replace his craft.
It strengthened it.
From Tailor To Industrialist
This is not a story about survival.
It is a story about ambition.
Basaf isn’t merely sewing clothes to make ends meet.
He is thinking much bigger.
His vision is to transform his tailoring workshop into a modern garment company capable of employing at least 50 people.
Already, around 20 apprentices work under him.
His dream is to build a Nigerian clothing enterprise that competes with international manufacturers.
It is the kind of vision that creates jobs instead of waiting for government jobs.
The Lesson Every Young Nigerian Needs
Perhaps Basaf’s greatest achievement isn’t that he returned to tailoring.
It is that he returned proudly.
Without embarrassment.
Without pretending politics was beneath him.
Without acting as though public office made manual work inferior.
In many parts of Nigeria, vocational trades are still unfairly viewed as options for people who “failed” academically.
Parents celebrate university admissions.
Few celebrate apprenticeship.
Yet history repeatedly proves that skills often outlive certificates.
Politics Is Temporary. Skills Are Permanent
One statement from the former council chairman captures the entire philosophy behind his decision.
“Politics can change overnight. You can be in office today and out tomorrow. But tailoring remains.”
There is wisdom in those few words.
Governments change.
Appointments expire.
Political alliances collapse.
Election victories become election defeats.
But a skill…
A skill stays with you.
It cannot be dissolved by a governor.
It cannot be suspended by a court.
It cannot be removed by election results.
It follows you everywhere.
Maybe This Is The Kind Of Politics Nigeria Needs
For decades, Nigerians have complained about politicians who appear desperate to remain in office at all costs.
Perhaps part of the problem is simple.
Many have nowhere else to go.
When politics becomes someone’s only source of income, losing office becomes an economic disaster.
But imagine a political class filled with entrepreneurs, artisans, professionals and innovators who could comfortably return to their businesses after public service.
Would politics still be a do-or-die affair?
Would elections be as bitter?
Would corruption be as tempting?
There are no easy answers.
But Basaf’s story quietly challenges the entire political culture.
Because maybe the strongest politician isn’t the one who never loses an election.
Maybe it is the one who can lose power today…
…and still wake up tomorrow with honest work waiting for him.