By Yahaya Kana Ismaila
I recently made a personal decision to immerse myself more deliberately into the activities and programmes of our Nasarawa State gubernatorial aspirants. I wanted to move beyond the buzz and get a more grounded understanding of their character, intellect, proposed solutions, and perhaps more crucially their track record of impact at the community level.
And I had the privilege of attending an event organised by a guber hopeful in the race, Dr. Faisal Shuaib. Though not as loud or flamboyant as other aspirants who have revealed themselves, Dr. Faisal has been making quiet, calculated moves that suggest his ambition for the governorship is not only real but deeply thought-out. One such move was his recent parley in Lafia with former elected and appointed councillors from the Nasarawa South Senatorial Zone.
This, I was made to understand, was the last in the series as he has parleyed with councillors from the Nasarawa West and North Senatorial districts before the Lafia event.
Now, this particular strategy engaging former ward councillors struck me as both fresh and brilliant. It’s a demography often forgotten or at best relegated to footnote roles in political strategy. Yet, these individuals are some of the most grassroots-rooted political actors, many of whom have served and shaped the political life of their communities for decades. It’s surprising that no one, to my knowledge at least, has thought to organise them in this manner.
We’ll circle back to this strategy later because it deserves some more unpacking.
Back to Lafia. At the event, I listened intently as these former councillors voiced genuine concerns. But more importantly, they shared deep, almost personal insights into Dr. Faisal’s foresight in reaching out to them and acknowledged his longstanding commitment to community development. They spoke not in vague platitudes but in specific, grounded examples many of which could easily pass for the achievements of a sitting governor.
I must confess, I was taken aback by the sheer volume and consistency of his contributions to the state. From his early days as a Director in the Nasarawa State Civil Service to the impactful activities of his foundation, the DFS Foundation, his footprint is wide and impressive. The foundation has been instrumental in delivering interventions like medical outreaches and installing solar-powered boreholes across various communities, tackling both health and infrastructure gaps in underserved areas.
He has also earned a reputation as a philanthropist, not only in times of crisis or disaster, but in sustainable areas such as education. The recent scholarships awarded to deserving Nasarawa indigenes pursuing studies across the country stand as testament to his belief in education as a long-term tool for empowerment.
His national record is no less commendable. During his time as Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Faisal became a household name. His leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic was marked by a firm resolve and coordinated strategy. He didn’t just lead the fight against COVID-19; he also played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s responses to other infectious diseases like Lassa fever and Ebola. His calm but firm communication style, coupled with his technical expertise, made him one of the most trusted public health voices in the country during those tense periods.
And then there’s his academic journey. It’s one thing to be successful in public service or philanthropy, but to do so while maintaining academic excellence tells a fuller story. Dr. Faisal was the best graduating student in his secondary school, performed with distinction at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and went on to earn the award for the best international PhD graduate while studying in the United States.
These aren’t just empty credentials; they speak to a pattern of excellence and commitment that has followed him throughout his life.
Now, back to that impressive strategy of engaging former local councillors regardless of the political party they served under. I don’t know what informed this move, but I suspect it may have been the result of deep insights gathered while holding frontline positions in Nigeria’s fight against infectious diseases, giving him access to every nook and cranny of Nasarawa state. However, this strategy was formed, I reckon it is one that other aspirants might soon try to replicate and for good reason.
By doing this, Dr. Faisal has tapped into a goldmine of grassroots political capital. These councillors are not just past office holders; they’re influencers, mediators, and mobilisers in their communities. Engaging them isn’t just symbolic, it’s strategic.
But more than that, it shows respect. It signals to these grassroots politicians that their time and service matter, and that they still have a seat at the table in shaping the future of the state. In a political environment where many actors are quick to discard yesterday’s players for newer faces, this approach feels refreshing and deeply inclusive.
What Dr. Faisal has done is to remind us that all politics is indeed local. And by placing value on the experience and networks of those at the very base of political mobilisation, he hasn’t just opened a window to meaningful engagement, he has elevated the conversation about what genuine grassroots politics should look like.
Whether or not he clinches his party, the APC’s ticket or goes on to win the election, this move and others like it will continue to reveal the kind of leader he is: thoughtful, strategic, and deeply committed to connecting with the people who matter most in any democratic process, the ones at the grassroots.