It is widely accepted that ‘there is no morality in politics’. According to the renowned Italian poet and philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, “There is no morality in politics; there is only experience…”. However, behind every cloud, there is a silver lining, so there are quite a few conscientious men and women populating the nation’s political firmament and Rt. Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas, representing the constituency Jada/Ganye/Mayo Belwa/Toungo Federal Officer from Adamawa State, is one of those rare politicians who does not lose consciousness by the lure of success or money.
Namdas, a two-time lawmaker, has volunteered not to return to the Green Chamber in 2023, in order to allow others to also contribute their quota by representing the constituency. He resisted the temptation to go fight for the House ticket after losing the gubernatorial primary, even when there were bids to that effect. This is despite the fact that he is loved and adored in the constituency as a certified grassroots politician, community leader and renowned philanthropist. No wonder he has the traditional title of Gangwi Ganye.
Being a team player, a great mobilizer and bridge builder, after APC lost the gubernatorial election in 2019, many key members left the party and went AWOL, Namdas remained and became the rallying point. Imbued with deft political acumen, Namdas took the bull by the horns and through his efforts, the APC rejuvenated and repositioned itself and once again became a party to be reckoned with. Even when he lost the gubernatorial primary, he never turned his back on the party; instead, Namdas was the first to congratulate Sen. Aisha Binani, the party’s gubernatorial candidate. In fact, when it became apparent that Binani was on his way to victory in the primary, Namdas congratulated the senator before the final result was announced, a perfect example of politics without bitterness. Since then he has been working assiduously with others for the victory of the party at the state and national level.
A committed party man, Namdas’s loyalty and political maturity also came to the fore in 2019 when he expressed interest in running for the House Speaker job. Although his ambition was welcomed by a large number of lawmakers, he withdrew from the race in deference to party superiority when the position was zoned to the south-west. Consequently, Namdas would work for the emergence of the party’s preferred candidate, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila. He is an embodiment of good sportsmanship, a trait that is missing from most of our politicians today.
In his first term, he was the Speaker of the House, and being an experienced journalist with excellent human relations and managerial skills, Namdas was able to change the face of the House, and indeed the National Assembly, which had by then degenerated into the eyes. from the public As chairman of the House Army Committee in the Ninth Assembly, Namdas has emanated a rare patriotism and commitment to his legislative duties. The legislator has been very active, working to guarantee a better welfare for the Army and the necessary support to fight against the insurgency and preserve the territorial integrity of the nation. He has never been found deficient in his legislative work, both in sponsoring very important bills and motions and in delivering electoral projects, which have won him the hearts of his voters and admirers throughout the country.
As Chairman of the Army Committee, he has facilitated the recruitment of many of his constituents into the Armed Forces and other federal ministries and establishments. In the area of constituency projects, he has attracted the construction and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure including roads, schools, hospitals, and electricity and drinking water supply. Namdas has also empowered thousands of their constituents through the acquisition of skills and the donation of cars, motorcycles, trikes, grinding machines, sewing machines, generators, pick kits, hair dryers, etc. Not stopping there, knowing that Adamawa is an agrarian state, Namdas also devoted his resources to distributing fertilizer and other agricultural implements to farmers each planting season.
Namdas is no accidental politician: academically, professionally and experientially, he is well suited for even higher responsibilities. A thoroughbred journalist, Namdas studied Sociology at Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, where he graduated with a BA and then obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Jos. He has an MA in Criminology and Security Studies and is now a Ph.D. candidate in Strategic and Security Studies.
Professionally, he worked for many years as a journalist and was a state correspondent for the Daily Times before becoming Governor Boni Haruna’s Chief Press Secretary from 1999 to 2007, an experience that took him into the corridors of power. Since he joined party politics, he has served as the CEO of Atiku Support Group, an influential political campaign platform founded by Atiku Abubakar. He was also the deputy gubernatorial candidate of Ing. Markus Gundiri’s Action Congress Nigeria (ACN), where he came first runner-up in the February 2011 election.
In addition to serving in the House of Representatives for a second term and holding strategic chair positions and serving on critical committees, Namdas also had the rare privilege of serving as Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament, making him one of the few Nigerians to have occupied the estimated position.
Today, he is the Secretary for Logistics and Support Services for the APC Presidential Campaign Council and works around the clock to ensure that Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima assume the presidency on February 25, 2023 .
Born on January 1, 1969, Namdas turns 54 today and has already accomplished a lot, but is still determined to dedicate his life to the service of humanity. May Allah be merciful to Namdas and grant him many more healthy and productive years ahead; and entrusting him with greater responsibility so that he can continue to offer conscientious, passionate and faithful service to his immediate constituencies, Nigeria and humanity in general.
– Nyam, public affairs analyst, writing from Abuja.
