ONCE we consigned logic to the garbage can, it followed that Nigeria would keep startling the world with her leadership choices. Alhaji Alhassan Ado Doguwa of Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, is proof if you needed one.
He has our attention not for any sterling legislative performance. It is not his fault that we refused to pay attention when he served us notice in 2019 as he was being sworn in for his fourth term – he turned up with his four wives and 27 children. More was on the way, he assured.
The number has crawled to four wives and 28 children. Many thought he would have done more in four years to match the family record. Doguwa told us his father had 40 children and was productive into his 80s.
Age is on his side. He is only 57, and over two scores short of his father’s age. He needs only 12 more children to equal his father’s record, on his way to a new family mark.
We should rightly expect more from Doguwa though we were clueless that his conjugal prowess and the resultant numbers were political tools. Last year he boasted that the APC presidential candidate Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Jagaban Borgu would have the votes of his household. It could not have been 33 votes unless you are suggesting that Doguwa promotes under-aged voting. Allegations against him are different.
He is on trial for allegedly killing 16 people during the run-up to his newest tenure in the House of Representatives. His retort is no less complicated. “I have never killed a fly let alone kill 16 people as alleged by the opposition party”.
A man so kind to Kano’s disturbing flies cannot kill human beings, that is his logic. Would a man with 28 children be short of helping hands to kill flies?
Let it not be that he is alleging that those of us who kill flies with reckless abandon are prospective murder suspects. He should not, after all, we are not his colleagues in the House of Representatives.
Doguwa hangs his best point about his leadership qualities on the management of his family. Four wives, no divorce, and 28 children, who have tasked his temperament to no adverse consequences. No mean feat no matter what else you may not like about him.
We should know that he is the best candidate for the position. Which contenders posses these qualities? If there are, why are they in hiding.
Serial monogamists, divorcees, singles, those unskilled in managing four wives and the 28 benchmark of children should leave the race for Doguwa. Call his stance ridiculous at your own risk. He may not be a Senator but he is distinguished and has created a distinct advantage for himself in the race.
Doguwa, also called Alhassan Ado Garba, got to the House of Representatives in 1992, supporting Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso to be Deputy Speaker. In 2000 he was appointed Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Environment and later Special Adviser on Governmental Affairs, and Political Party Affairs to Senate Presidents Chief Adolphus Wabara and Senator Ken Nnamani.
He returned to the House of Representatives in 2007 with re-elections in 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. His blooming relationship with Femi Gbajabiamila who he succeeded as Chief Whip crashed when Gbajabiamila lost the contest for Speaker to Yakubu Dogara. Gbajabiamila expected that Doguwa would hand him back the Chief Whip position. Doguwa refused.
Entitlement is part of his credentials including claims that he stepped down in 2019 for Gbajabiamila to be Speaker, and the succession sequence from Chief Whip to Speaker, favours him.
Why would Doguwa pitch his family size ahead of his detailed experience, ranking, and his acceptable to his colleagues? Does he even remember that selling himself as a great, loyal party man was more important than his conjugal prowess?
Doguwa graduated with a first class in Mass Communication from Bayero University, Kano. He would not project these quality and there could be explanations.
We tend to appreciate visible “qualities” more. Anyone who can get a family that size into a photo frame deserves commendation for organisation. Please go back in time to how trying family photo sessions used to be. These were families nowhere close to Doguwa’s size.
Only a genius would muster names for 28 children. I assume he remembers each of his children by name. And he can recognise them down to their mothers and their number in the flourishing family tree.
Does he use a family WhatsApp group to call family meetings. His expenditure on air time and data could run some immodest families for a year or more.
Read also: Repositioning Nigeria’s “engine room” for effective delivery through public leadership
How many buses do they need to travel? If they are to fly, few airlines would not run out of seats for them. Being a man of means, he may just charter an aircraft with adequate seats for the family
Have you pondered the logistics to deliver foods, drinks, cooking equipment, utensils, clothing, furniture, bedding, schooling, medical care, financial dispensations? Nobody should forget housing.
Meal times would come with their own challenges. Imagine, no matter how fleetingly, the array of staff deployed to get meals ready. Doguwa is a great employer of labour. Again, he decides not to brag about such miniscule achievement.
Would Doguwa’s unique, family-centred experience not translate to frothy legislative leadership?
There are more concerns. How would Nigeria provide for a four-wife, 28 children and counting family? Doguwa would have privileges that include medical trips abroad for him and family. The Constitution cannot anticipate everything. We should note that any attempt to disqualify Doguwa on basis of his beloved family would be discriminatory, and unconstitutional.
It is obvious that Doguwa’s family pedigree drains him. He has no cares or worries about families around him that cannot live their simple lives because of insecurity and the consequences of leaderships reckoning their achievements the way Doguwa does.
We, however, have to praise Doguwa’s candour. He parades his family achievements and approximates his successes to the skill sets he would need to lead the 360-member House of diverse tendencies, stand as Nigeria’s number four citizen who under certain circumstances could be the President.
Doguwa is a study on things of importance to some of our leaders. The surprise would be if his colleagues do not elect him the Speaker.
.Isiguzo is a major commentator on minor issues
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
