SINCE the news about Hon. Alhassan Ado, the lawmaker representing Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency broke on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, the legislator has become a subject of public jokes and satirical comments.
While some Nigerians chuckled off the show as melodrama, others described his quip as an insult to the sensibility of the Nigerian public, unbecoming of a national figure.
This is no joke again o. I think we need to start doing some medical tests for our political contestants. No! No! This that has just been displayed is not something to be waved off. I’m ashamed bro. Is this the people we are paying N9m every month? God save my country, Nigeria! https://t.co/aaNk8LJMFJ
— Oluwole Dada (@oluwole_dada) January 30, 2020
Ado is not a newcomer in the National Assembly (NASS). By 2023; the controversial lawmaker would have spent 16 years in the Lower House representing his constituency.
The ICIR takes a glimpse into notable things about the lawmaker that might be of interest to the public.
Alhassan’s Father was a foremost politician
Alhassan Ado was born into a popular family known for active political participation in Kano State. His father, Hon. Garba Doguwa was one of the foremost politicians and member of the first republic Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), whose chairperson was the late Mallam Aminu Kano. The union was an offshoot of the Northern Elements Progressive Association.
The party which was reputed to be one of the leading political parties in Northern Nigeria was founded in Kano State, on 8th August, 1950.
It later emerged as major opposition with a strong alliance with the Zikist National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons as well as the popular Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) which was known to have federal might.
Alhassan’s father later joined the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) but subsequently became a member of the Kano State Assembly under the platform of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
He died in 2018 at King Abdulaziz Hospital, Makkah Saudi Arabia.
Alhassan Ado – Lawmaker from 1992
It is interesting to note that Alhassan Ado joined politics, immediately after he graduated from Bayero University in 1990. He studied Mass Communication and reportedly graduated with first-class.
He has been at the National Assembly for almost three decades since 1992.
Based on the National Assembly data, the lawmaker first became a legislator in 1991. He was the contemporary of the likes of Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, who is currently serving a jail term and also Adolphus Wabara while they were all in the National Assembly.
He was a member of the House of Representatives in 1992 under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
He was in the House in 2007, 2011, 2015 and also won in the 2019 election.
Though he almost lost out in the 2019 election when the Court of Appeal in Kaduna nullified his election, thus ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a re-run within 90 days. Eventually, he won with 66,667 votes to beat Yusahu Salisu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who only had 6, 323 votes. Professor Mansur Bindawa subsequently declared the House Majority Leader winner of the rerun poll.
He was sworn in on Wednesday to retain his position as the majority leader in the House.
Mass Communication Graduate, eager to practice journalism after political career
Though very outspoken, Alhassan Ado has never practised journalism despite being a graduate of mass communication. There is no record he practised any profession outside politics.
Though known for his controversial views on the floor of the House, he was listed among 161 representatives, who never sponsored a single bill over two years of being in the House during the last Assembly.
It is unclear if he had ever raised any bill from his time in the parliament. At least, his personal profile on the official website of the National Assembly which displayed his biography did not show he has any bill to his name.
However, he had expressed hope to end his political career in the newsroom.
Always busy but likes food
As a politician with decades of experience, it won’t be out of place to get busy, either attending political meetings or organising a caucus gathering of fellow lawmakers. However, this does not stop the lawmaker from taking his meals even if it comes in bits.
“I have been a very busy man but I don’t joke with food. I eat every time, every minute, every hour and as long as I eat, sleep is never my problem,” Alhassan once stated.
“The earliest time I sleep is 3 a.m. And I bet you by seven in the morning, I am awake. It’s the zeal and commitment to serve my people with utmost commitment and sincerity.”
Alhassan lost his second wife to headache
This is perhaps one of the information that is unknown to many. More so, it is also why the lawmaker often gets very sympathetic when any of his relatives fall sick.
He had boasted of having four wives but the death of his late second wife was never made public due to the circumstance. She died after briefly complaining of headache.
“Every time you say someone is sick in my immediate family, I become very worried. And the reason is that I lost my second wife to a headache. This was a lady that I slept in her room and was hale and hearty. By 6 a.m we rose to pray and she told me she had a headache.
“I went to get her some drugs but before I came from the pharmacy she was dead,” he stated in an interview conducted by ThisDay.
“It was a very shocking thing. So, any time I hear someone is sick; I will rush until I see him or her alive because I keep on remembering the way and manner I lost my second wife of blessed memory. She gave me one child and died. The child is now in the university.”
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at [email protected]. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin