MD Yusufu: A personal tribute

Indeed, I first saw him, in 1980 at the house of Dr Patrick Wilmot, Aviation Quarters, Ahmadu Bello University section, Zaria. I think he was on his way to Kaduna from Katsina and branched to see Dr. Wilmot. He greeted us, discussed with Dr. Wilmot and left. Unknown to him, he left an indelible impression on me, as he was looking simple and ordinary in spite of his social origin and standing in society.
My relationship with Alhaji MD Yusufu, popularly known as MD, started in December I 997, when my colleagues at the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training, CEDDERT, accepted the proposal of Dr. Bala Usman that I should be nominated to join the Presidential Campaign Team of Alhaji MD Yusufu who had just announced his intention to contest the election against General Sani Abacha, on the platform of the Grassroots Democratic Movement, GDM. Dr. Bala did not even mention this to MD. Two days later he called to tell me that MD is in Kaduna and I should come along to see him.
When we arrived, Dr. Bala Usman introduced me to MD and said: “I have brought Alkasum to join your campaign team.” MD then asked, “Is he the one who wrote the book on Malam Aminu Kano?” Dr. Bala said, “Yes.” He then said “I have taken him.” This happened within just a minute. MD was not only one of the most important leaders of the Northern Elements Progressive Union, NEPU, he was also very closely associated with its leader, Mallam Aminu Kano. Such association and closeness was to an extent that MD named his first son after Mallam Aminu. Unknown to me, I also had two other credentials which endeared me to MD.
The first is my subject of study, as an academic, which is a specialisation on NEPU with emphasis on its significance in the history of radical nationalism in Nigeria and the struggle for democracy and human rights in Northern Nigeria.
Secondly, my father-in-law, Ambassador Isa Modibbo was very close to MD and played an important role under his leadership, along with Mazi SG Ikoku and Dr Patrick Wilmot to block the intention of the Right Wing French Government to recognise Biafara. Ambassador Isa Modibbo and Mazi SG Ikoku were based in London and frequently travelled to Paris. In 1999, MD told me that he was still keeping the statement of accounts the two of them rendered to him on their frequent trips to Paris from London. I asked him why, he said because they did not claim out-of-pocket expenses in spite of the many trips they under took. A couple of days later, MD, asked me to join him in Lagos. I first requested for sabbatical leave from my employers, ABU, Zaria, but on hearing that I was going to work in the campaign office of MD Yusufu, the Sole Administrator, General Mamman Kontagora, declined to release me.
I had to take leave without pay to join the MD Yusufu campaign team. I took an early morning flight from Kaduna and arrived at the compound of Alhaji MD Yusufu, located at number 90 Juolobun Close, Victoria Island, Lagos, at about 10am. I found Policemen at the gate and requested them to notify MD that I have arrived. They looked at me and laughed. One of them said he is in Flat one. Just go and knock at the door. As I knocked the door, he opened it by himself. I dropped my little luggage near his TV and took a seat near him. We spent the whole day chatting as people came in and out. He lodged me in one of the two Guest Houses in his compound. I spent the next one week sitting and chatting with him, or rather of him getting familiar with me and sizing me. Finally, he decided that he was not appointing me his campaign manager, rather, I should be his Political Secretary, which was a higher rank. This was how my working relationship with MD started.
Many people have mentioned that simplicity was one of the attributes of Alhaji MD Yusufu. I would like to illustrate this in my relationship with him. First, I ate food with him, for all the period I stayed in his house. It was always dinner because that was the only meal he was sure to eat; as often he skipped either breakfast or lunch. He does not sit at the head of the table and would always ask you to take your portion first and would take last.
Second, when travelling, he always bought the same ticket class for me and himself; within Nigeria it was always economy ticket. However, there was a day we were travelling back to Lagos from Kaduna, he did not realize that he gave me money which could buy two Business Class tickets and when I bought the ticket without re-confirmation from him, he became furious with me because he thought I ‘added my money’ to buy the tickets he did not even create room for me to explain. I was saved that day when suddenly, General TY Danjuma emerged and checked into the Business Class. They sat together and chatted all the way to Lagos. MD avoided using the VIP Lounge, even when he is entitled to the use of Government Lounges; he was always sitting at the public lounges.
In Abuja, he avoided the luxury hotels even when people offered to pay for him; his normal place was a three-star hotel, Banex Plaza. Even in Banex, we had to convince him to take a suite because of the number of visitors coming otherwise, he would simply take one room, like the one he takes for me. Third, for international flights, he bought Business Class tickets for the two of us and same type of single room in the hotels. The only exception was when we travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umra, or lesser Hajj, in 1998. He said that because of the religious nature of the journey, there would be no class distinction and economy tickets were purchased for the three of us who made the trip to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Senegal and back. As a result of the way he treated me, I was often asked, especially at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, if I was either his son or junior brother. And I always answered yes to each of the questions.
I remember, there was a day he visited the late Galadima Kano, Alhaji Tijjani Hashim, when he saw the way MD was treating me, he asked if I was his son Abdullahi. MD simply laughed and said, no. He never said who I was to him. He was very free with his staff and we all felt at home with him. I remember we used to joke with him often. There was a day, we were teasing him about the way he was giving out money to people who he knew, very well, were telling lies to him. He responded by saying that “maybe he did not sleep last night because he was thinking about what to tell me to collect free money!”
During my stay with him, I observed how kind and forgiving MD was. First, his house was open to everybody and he was accessible to all visitors. This was the case in Lagos, Katsina, Kaduna and Abuja; nobody would be turned back in MD’s house. I noticed whenever he was going to Katsina, he would change his money into lower denominations for distribution to the poor people who flock to his house. In addition, some people came with specific requests, like medication money or school fees for their children. He always attended to such requests so long as there is a prescription paper in case of medication or a Report Card with regards to school fees.
Second, in Lagos, I noticed that a group of people used to come to the house every Friday afternoon and sit in the Living Room. As soon as he saw them, he would go in, take some money, hide it in his palm and gives it to them. When it became very regular, I gathered courage and asked him because I realized that neither of them was talking beyond the normal greetings. Then he responded by quoting some Qur’anic verses which said that you thank God if it is from you that people collect from.
Third, there is the case of a man who was part of our campaign activities and switched sides at the critical stage. After the death of General Abacha, I saw him frequenting MD’s house in Lagos with files and papers. After he made three trips, I realized that there was something he was looking for. I then asked MD what the man was looking for from him. He told me that he wanted him to talk to somebody in PTF to support his project. I then said to MD you remember what he did to us. He said, yes, but the project he wanted to do was a good one. It was about waste disposal in Lagos and it is good for public health. I then realized how principled and forgiving MD was.
One could go on and on talking about Alhaji MD Yusufu, his simplicity and kindness to people. All of these can be summarised by his appearance, dress, food, houses, cars and furniture. Everything he had, was simple and ordinary. This was him.
Source: ARDP Newsletter