Aminu Kano | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President-General of People's Redemption Party | |
| In office 1978–1983 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Khalifa Hassan Yusuf |
| Federal Commissioner for Health | |
| In office 13 January 1972 – 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Josiah Okezie |
| Succeeded by | Emmanuel O. Abisoye |
| Federal Commissioner for Communications | |
| In office 12 June 1967 – 13 January 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Raymond Njoku |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Tarka |
| Deputy Government Chief Whip | |
| In office December 1959 – 30 December 1964 | |
| Chief Whip | Bello Dandago |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Member of Parliament for Kano East | |
| In office December 1959 – 30 December 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Maitama Sule |
| Succeeded by | Mahmud Dantata |
| President-General of Northern Elements Progressive Union | |
| In office 1953–1966 | |
| Preceded by | Abba Maikwaru |
| Succeeded by | position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mohammed Aminu Yusufu 9 August 1920 Sudawa, Kano (now in Gwale, Kano State) |
| Died | 17 April 1983 (aged 62) Kano |
| Resting place | Mambayya House 12°0′54.342″N 8°30′20.4912″E / 12.01509500°N 8.505692000°E |
| Political party | People's Redemption Party |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Spouses | Umma (m. 1939–1940)Hasia
(m. 1942, divorced)
Zahra
(m. 1967; div. 1970)Asma'u (m. 1970) |
| Relations | Gyanawa (clan) |
| Alma mater | Kaduna College University of London |
| Occupation | Teacher, politician, poet, writer, trade unionist |
Mallam Aminu Kano GCON[1] (9 August 1920 — 17 April 1983)[2] was a Nigerian radical opposition political leader, teacher, poet, playwright, and trade unionist from Kano. He played an active role during the transition from British colonial rule to independence, the First Republic, Military rule, and the Second Republic. Representing the Kano East constituency, he served as the Deputy Government Chief Whip in the Federal House of Representatives. During Yakubu Gowon's administration, he served as the Federal Commissioner for Communications and the Federal Commissioner for Health. He was a vocal critic of British colonialism and its indirect rule policy in northern Nigeria. A self-described democratic humanist and reformer, Aminu combined his knowledge of Western and Islamic education to champion the liberation of the talakawa (commoners).[3][4][5][6]
In 1948, Aminu founded the Northern Teachers' Association, the first labor union in Northern Nigeria, and helped form the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), initially a cultural organisation, in the same year. Due to the conservatism of most its members, he left the NPC to co-found the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), a socialist party and the first declared political party in Northern Nigeria. He resigned from teaching in 1950 to become a full-time politician. Elected President of NEPU in 1953, under his leadership the party pursued rapid decolonisation and the emancipation of the talakawa. After several failed attempts, he won his first election in 1959, joining the Federal House of Representatives.[5]
As a parliamentarian, Aminu continued to advocate for decolonisation in Nigeria and across Africa, particularly in South Africa and Congo. He was also appointed a United Nations delegate, promoting a non-aligned position for Nigeria and 'non-bloc diplomacy'. His tenure ended after losing his seat in the 1964 general election. However, he became the most influential Northern Nigerian following the 1966 coup, which resulted in the assassination of Ahmadu Bello and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, ending the First Republic. He served as a Federal Commissioner during Yakubu Gowon's military administration (1966–1975). With the return to politics in the Second Republic, Aminu founded the socialist People's Redemption Party (PRP) and ran for president. His main political focus remained the emancipation of the talakawa and the empowerment of women, particularly through education.[5]
The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Aminu Kano College of Education, Aminu Kano Community Commercial College, Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies, and the Aminu Kano College of Islamic Studies all in Kano state, are named after him. He is regarded as one of modern Nigeria's founding fathers and is widely respected throughout the country.[7]
- ^ Nigeria Government Gazette dated 1982-10-01 number 50. 1 October 1982.
- ^ Uwechue, Raph (1991). Makers of Modern Africa (Second ed.). United Kingdom: Africa Books Limited. pp. 323–324. ISBN 0903274183.
- ^ Bennett, Eric (2010), "Kano, Alhaji Aminu", in Gates, Henry Louis; Appiah, Kwame Anthony (eds.), Encyclopedia of Africa, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195337709.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-533770-9, retrieved 23 May 2024
- ^ Reynolds, Jonathan T. (1 January 2011), Akyeampong, Emmanuel K.; Gates, Henry Louis (eds.), "Kano, Muhammad Aminu", Dictionary of African Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195382075.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5, retrieved 23 May 2024
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
:31was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Eltantawi, Sarah (2017). Shari'ah on Trial: Northern Nigeria's Islamic Revolution (1 ed.). University of California Press. p. 29. doi:10.1525/j.ctt1m3p0h2.
- ^ Paden, John N. Fleet, Kate (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Islam: Aminu Kano (3rd ed.). Brill Reference Online. Retrieved 1 February 2024.