Kawu Sumaila
Suleiman Abdurrahaman also known as Kawu Sumaila is a Nigerian politician, businessman, and former Senior Special Assistant to President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly House of Representatives Matters. He is the Senator representing the Kano South Senatorial District at the 10th Nigerian National Assembly under All Progressive Congress Party. He served three terms in the Nigerian House of Representatives and was the Deputy Minority Leader of the 6th and 7th Houses of Representatives. He was a member of the All Progressive Congress(APC) and sat on the board of trustees, National Caucus, and NEC, as well as the central merger committee that founded the All Progressive Congress(APC) political party.
He finally depected to All Progressives Congress after clashing issues with NNPP stakeholders in Kano because of his tight relationship with President Bola Tinubu.
Early life and education
Kawu Sumaila was born on 3 March 1968 in Sumaila Village in Kano State to Alhaji Abdurrahaman Tadu and Hajiya Maryam Muhammad. He attended Sumaila Gabas Primary School, Sumaila, in Kano State, where he obtained his first School Leaving Certificate in 1976 and Senior Secondary School, Sumaila, where he obtained Secondary School Leaving Certificate in 1988. He proceeded to Bayero University Kano, where he obtained a Diploma and an Advance Diploma in Educational Management. He was a student of the National Open University of Nigeria where he obtained Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies, he was also a student in Nigerian Defence Academy where he obtained masters in leadership studies, he was also a student in Bayero University Kano where he obtained masters in developmental studies. Kawu possesses a masters degree in political science from Maryam Abacha American University. Niger Republic, And he possess PhD in Political Science from Al-Qalam University Katsina.Kawu Sumaila attended short courses and obtained certificates at Harvard University (US), Oxford University (UK), Cambridge University (UK), and Bayero University (Kano).
Professional affiliations
Hon Kawu Sumaila was appointed as a member of the Kano State Library Board, Coordinator of National Poverty Eradication Programme and Chairman Local Government Monitoring Committee of the programme, Sumaila L.G.A. He was appointed as Chairman of Senate committee on Sport Development 2023 he is current Chairman Senate Committee on petroleumPolitical career
Kawu Sumaila joined politics in 1991. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party, Member Peoples Democratic Movement, which later merged with some other political groups in the country to form what is today known as the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Kawu served as Deputy State Organizing Secretary and Kano state house of assembly aspirant of PDM and PDP in 1995 and 1999 subsequently. During Sani Abacha transition programme. Hon Kawu was a member of United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP).In 2003, Kawu decamped to All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and contested as member of House of Representatives representing Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency where he served in various committees including Water resources, Interior, Information, Poverty Alleviation and NEMA before he became the Deputy Minority Leader in 2007 after his re-election for the second term into the Lower Chamber. In 2011, Hon Kawu Sumaila was re-elected in to the House and was later retained his position as Deputy Minority Leader. He served as a member of constitutional amendment committee between 2007-2011 and 2011-2015 and also served as member Governing Council of National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS).
Having successfully completed three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, Kawu contested for position of the Executive Governor of Kano State under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC). In August 2016, president Muhammadu Buhari appointed Kawu as his senior Special assistant on National Assembly matters. He resigned to contest for membership of the House of Representatives representing Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency in Kano State under the ticket of the All Progressives Congress in 2019 Nigerian general election