Legislation differs from execution: Case of Bichi Federal Constituency

The Daily Trust cover story for Saturday, October 17, 2026, titled “Abba Bichi: Generosity and the Question of Money” has deservedly attracted national attention. The individual, Hon Abubakar Kabir Bichi, the member representing Bichi Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, is one of the most visible legislators in Kano State.

We congratulate the Daily Trust on its attempt at balance. However, as a democracy and good governance advocacy group, we believe the report obscures legitimate legislative influence with project enforcement power.

The chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee is, as the document rightly points out, “one of the most influential positions in the House” because of its central role in the budget process. The question is not whether the office confers influence, but how that influence is used.

The story puts it into perspective. Since the return to democracy in 1999, Kano has produced four presidents for appropriation: Senator Barau I. Jibrin, PhD, CFR, when he was a member of the House of Representatives, from Tarauni Federal Constituency, Hon. Federal Constituency Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa Kiru/Bebeji, Hon. Mustapha Bala Dawaki Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency and now the Hon. Bichi Federal Constituency of Bichi.

In terms of visible and completed infrastructure interventions and human capital empowerment, none of the previous assignments match what is currently taking place in Bichi. This is not biased praise. The Daily Trust itself acknowledged this on page six:

“While Bichi’s position in Abuja has strengthened his national profile, his most visible influence is in his constituency. Residents and associates describe a wide range of interventions in Bichi, from roads and educational facilities to housing, sports infrastructure and scholarships.”

The photographs published by the newspaper showed completed projects, not abandoned foundations or old renovated structures claimed as new, which has become the trademark of some lawmakers.

Two issues raised by the report require clarification.

First, the birthday ads.

The newspaper questioned who had paid for the volume of birthday announcements for the Hon. Bichi’s 45th anniversary. Sponsors included governors, lieutenant governors, senators, members of the House, ministers and state legislators. These are individuals with independent financial capacity. The suggestion they needed from the Hon. Bichi to finance their goodwill messages has no logic.

We agree with two items mentioned in the same report. Yusha’u A. Shuaib stated: “…The advertisements do not prove that public funds were used, nor do they prove that Bichi personally financed the publication.” Prof. Babayo Sule added: “However, the advertisements alone do not prove that anyone sought a particular favor or that public money was used to finance the celebration. These are matters that require evidence…”

Furthermore, the newspaper itself allegedly published nearly 100 color pages of such ads. If the adverts were prima facie improper, the professional duty would have been to reject them, not publish them and then question them.

Goodwill publicity is not evidence of derailment.

Secondly, the financing of projects.

There is a fundamental misunderstanding here between legislation and enforcement. In a presidential democracy, the legislature legislates and exerts pressure. The power to award, finance and execute projects rests exclusively with the Executive – the President, the Federal Executive Council and the MDAs at the federal level. Governors, State Executive Council and State Level MDAs. Then Presidents, Councils of Councilors and Departments at local government level.

Hon. Bichi does not award contracts. He is pushing for the federal presence to be mentioned in his constituency. Therefore, demanding from him a consolidated financial breakdown of project costs is demanding from the wrong arm of government. This information is the responsibility of the Ministries, Departments and implementing Agencies.

What can be expected of a legislator is whether his lobbying activity has produced results. In Bichi, it clearly did.

There is also context that the report overlooked. Bichi Local Government gave the most votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, the highest in Kano State and reportedly the second highest in the entire country, with a margin of over 30,000 votes over the runner-up. Who is the son of the earth.

In representative democracy, constituencies that demonstrate such strong electoral support often attract greater federal attention. Should this contribution be discounted? What is wrong if the President appreciates this loyalty with development projects?

The testimony of Hafizu Ibrahim Garba, Bichi’s childhood friend and classmate at Hagagawa Special Primary School, that the Hon. Bichi supported 30 former classmates with $1 million each and hired 20 of them as special legislative aides—speaks of character, not corruption. No other federal legislator from Kano North in recent memory has a similar record. Nobody!

Mr Bichi should be judged on his primary mandate: legislative activity, effective lobbying and responsible representation. In these respects, the Bichi federal constituency is visibly transformed.

Comrade Yakubu Maxwell

Citizens Democratic Forum is a public policy and good governance advocacy organization based in Abuja