By a Concerned Political Columnist and Political Commentator, Pamela O.
In the quiet corridors of Daura politics, a storm is brewing that should worry every well-meaning Nigerian who believes public office is about service, not entitlement. Yusuf Muhammadu Buhari, son of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has thrown his hat into the ring for the Daura/Sandamu/Mai’adua Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 House of Representatives election under the APC banner.
Fresh from consultations with Governor Dikko Radda and a handful of local stakeholders, the declaration—made barely days ago—has left many asking one piercing question: *On what basis?*
Let us be blunt. Yusuf Buhari is a political novice with zero legislative experience, zero track record in public service, and zero demonstrated capacity to navigate the complex demands of constituency representation.
This is not a disqualification in itself—many first-timers have risen through sheer competence—but when the seat is already occupied by a performing first-term lawmaker, the move reeks of dynastic overreach rather than genuine ambition.
People are right to ask: *What legacy does he bring?* Certainly not one inherited from his father’s eight years in Aso Rock. Nigerians are still grappling with the economic hardship, crippling insecurity, and institutional decay that defined that era.
The “legacy” many recall is one of unfulfilled promises—fuel subsidy removal without cushions, naira redesign chaos, and a security architecture that left banditry and kidnapping as daily headlines.
If Yusuf’s pitch rests on name recognition alone, he is selling yesterday’s pain as today’s solution. That is not just tone-deaf; it is politically suicidal in a constituency hungry for tangible dividends.
And in which capacities exactly is he qualified? The whispers in Daura markets and WhatsApp groups are unsparing: this is not Yusuf’s solo mission.
Fingers point to shrewd family insiders—his sisters and a cabal of opportunistic politicians—elbowing him forward like a reluctant pawn on a chessboard.
Many suspect the real game is far darker: securing parliamentary immunity. A seat in the Green Chamber would shield him (and by extension, the family) from any future financial probes or accountability questions that might arise once the protective veil of the Buhari name fades.
If that cynicism sounds harsh, consider the optics: a young man with no prior public footprint suddenly eyeing a federal seat in his father’s hometown, while the current holder is quietly delivering. If not immunity, then what exactly does he offer the people of Daura, Sandamu, and Mai’adua?
Contrast this with the man he seeks to displace—Hon. Aminu Jamo Daura (also known as Aminu Jamo Ibn Yusuf Daura). In just three years, Hon. Jamo has quietly built a legacy of quiet, results-driven representation that speaks for itself. Under his constituency projects:
– He facilitated the construction of multiple blocks of classrooms, comprehensive health centres, and the rehabilitation of both conventional and Islamic schools as well as mosques.
– He provided motorized boreholes, hand pumps, and essential water infrastructure across the three LGAs.
– Township roads have been constructed and others are nearing completion, including a critical three-kilometre slum-upgrade road linking Sabon-garin Dadin Kowa, Sabon-garin Ligga, and Ruwan Dutsi villages in Sandamu LGA.
– He distributed over 2,000 bags of fertilizer to farmers to boost agriculture and food security.
– He installed scores of solar-powered security lights for community safety.
– He facilitated direct employment opportunities, including placements for Mai’adua indigenes at the Federal Polytechnic Daura.
– His broader focus on grassroots empowerment, human capital development, and infrastructure has earned him genuine grassroots admiration—described by supporters as a “pillar of unity, peace, and community development.”
Hon. Jamo is not perfect—no lawmaker is—but he is *delivering*. Stakeholders who have endorsed Yusuf have themselves admitted as much: “Even the current member, Hon. Aminu Jamo, did his best.”
Exactly. Why then attempt to replace a man who is performing with someone who has yet to prove he can even show up?
This is the harsh truth Yusuf Buhari must confront before it is too late: he will not be electorally received on name alone.
The people of Daura/Sandamu/Mai’adua are not blind loyalists; they have seen what real representation looks like under Hon. Jamo.
They want continuity of projects, not a dynastic experiment. The small crowd pushing him—driven by selfish calculations of access, contracts, or protection—will melt away the moment the primaries expose the lack of organic support.
My earnest advice, as a concerned observer of Nigerian politics: Yusuf Buhari should step back, read the room, and refuse to be used as a tool for other people’s ambitions.
Let him set aside this small circle of pushers and reflect honestly on what he truly brings to the table. Public office is not a family heirloom; it is a trust. Chasing it without preparation or genuine service is not just a misadventure—it is a recipe for public rejection and lasting embarrassment.
Daura deserves better than recycled entitlement. It deserves the steady hand that is already at work. Hon. Aminu Jamo is doing wonderfully fine. Let him finish what he started. The room has spoken.
