In a rare move that challenges the conventional lifestyle of Nigerian politicians, the former Chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Area in Kano State, Abdullahi Gali Shitu, has returned to his fashion design shop just months after being removed from office by a court.

Shitu, widely known as Comrade Abdullahi Gali Basaf, lost his seat in March 2026 after a Kano State High Court nullified his election victory. Rather than chasing another political appointment, he went straight back to his workshop in Sheka Ward, where he currently supervises 20 apprentices.

Holding both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Political Science, Basaf insists that public office should be viewed as a temporary call to service rather than a full-time career or sole source of income.

"Politics can change overnight. You can be in office today and out tomorrow. But tailoring remains," Basaf told reporters. "Value your trade more than politics, because it sustains you and enables you to support your political activities."

He revealed that his sewing business actually financed his political campaigns, proving that vocational skills can empower citizens to participate in politics without relying on godfathers or public funds.

Far from viewing his return to manual labor as a downgrade, the former council boss plans to scale up his enterprise into a modern garment manufacturing company aimed at employing at least 50 people.

He urged Nigerian youths to look beyond dwindling white-collar jobs and political thuggery, advising them to embrace and modernize vocational trades. While Basaf has ruled out quitting politics entirely, he maintains that his tailoring business will always take precedence over public office.