Yahaya Abdulkarim

Malam Yahaya Abdulkarim (born 21 August 1944) is a Nigerian politician who was governor of Sokoto State, between January 1992 and November 1993, during General Ibrahim Babangida's attempted transition to democracy. After the return to democracy in 1999, he became a power in the Zamfara State branch of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and served for a while in the cabinet of president Olusegun Obasanjo. Quotes In 2000AD I went to Sokoto to interview Hajia Amina, Goggon Kano, wife of the Sardauna Sir Ahmadu Bello. My effort to book an appointment through intermediaries failed, so I just walked up to the house and sent a small girl to tell Goggo she had a visitor. When I was ushered in, I said, “Goggo, I am from New Nigerian, the newspaper that Sardauna established.” She nodded, and the interview began. Goggo’s answers were very brief. I feared that the interview would end in a few minutes, so I manufactured follow-up questions like never before in my career. “What was Sardauna’s favourite food?” She said, “Tuwo and kuka soup.” “Did he like meat?” “Yes, very much.” “Did he drink fura?” “Yes, he liked fura.” “Did he put sugar in his fura?” “No, Sokoto people don’t put sugar in fura.” “Did he drink Coca Cola?” “No, but he liked Tree Top.” In September 1992, my bosses at Citizen took me to Abuja to interview General Shehu Yar’adua, who just won the SDP presidential primaries. We were taken to the dining table and Yar’adua, who sat on a sofa nearby, picked up his box of Benson & Hedges cigarettes and joined us. Throughout the two hours interview he always had a lighted cigarette in his fingers, though a whole stick sometimes burnt out without his smoking it. I had a puzzling experience in 2001 when I went to Lokoja to interview Governor Abubakar Audu. He insisted that I be taken round the state to see his major projects before the interview. They were quite impressive. Just before I was ushered into his office, his press secretary pleaded with me, “Please, when we go in, praise my Oga. He likes praise. Help me and praise him!” External links Category:Politicians from Nigeria Category:1944 births Category:Living people