Of all the aspirants gearing up to contest the 2019 gubernatorial election, few have the requisite experience and political clout to deliver the election for the All Progressives Congress (APC) than Hon. Aliyu Wadada. He is a grass root politician in touch with the electorates, with his political structure spread all over the state.
Hon. Wadada was known to have selflessly deployed enormous personal wealth in running his former party, the PDP.
Born on October 15, 1964 in Keffi, Hon. Wadada through dint of hard work and exemplary character, rose from a humble background to become among the most influential people not only across Nasarawa State but
the country at large.
Hon. Wadada started his early education at the Abdu Zanga Primary School in Keffi where he obtained his First School Living Certificate in 1978 from where he left for Government Secondary School Miango, Plateau State for his General Certificate of Education (GCE). He later enrolled at the School of Preliminary Studies Keffi and graduated in 1984.
Motivated by a desire to pursue higher education, Hon. Wadada in 1986 sought and got admitted into the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa for a National Diploma (ND) in Business Administration and Management. In
1993, he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration and Management from the same institution.
Hon. Wadada quite early in life demonstrated his leadership qualities when he held various positions at school. He was Class Monitor at Abdu Zanga Primary School (1972-1975), Senior Prefect (1976-1981) Social Prefect (1982-1983) at GSS Miango, Social Director (1982-1984) for the Keffi Students Association and Coordinator, Association for Better Keffi, (1996 to date).
He began his working career as a Senior Clerk with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) from 1988 to 1991 from where he voluntarily retired to go back to the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa for his HND. He was Procurement Officer with the Benue Cement Company, Gboko in Benue State, from 1993 to 1994 while undergoing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
In 1996, Hon. Wadada was employed as Distribution Manager at the Kano Tobacco Distribution Company from where he left in 1997 to become the Personal Assistant (PA) to the chairman of the Vision Group, a position he held till 2002.
Determined to touch the lives of the less privileged in the society, Hon. Wadada contested and twice won elections to represent the Keffi/Karu/Kokona Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011.
He became a key player on the national scene when in 2004 he became a member of the Presidential Monitoring Committee to understudy the operations of the Commodity Exchange in Singapore, Malaysia and India with a view to actualize the smooth take-off of the Abuja Securities and Commodity Exchange (ASEA).
In 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the Technical Committee on Review of the Securities ACT (ISA) No. 45 (1999). Hon. Wadada was also member, Bonds Market Resuscitation Committee of Nigeria, Core Member,
Nigerian Economic Submit Group (NESG).
As a politician, Hon. Wadada played significant roles and held various positions within the top echelon of his then political party notable among which are; Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) (2004-2011) as well as the National Financial Secretary of the PDP (2013-2014).
While at the National Assembly from 2003 to 2011, Hon. Wadada played significant role as a federal lawmaker, showing remarkable leadership qualities in the manner he headed important committees, lobbied and sponsored bills and motions in his bid to further enhance the smooth delivery of democratic governance. Among such committees are: Sports, Media/Public Affairs and FCT Area Councils.
As Chairman of the House Committee on Information and National Orientation, Hon. Wadada actively participated in the passing into law the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill which is now a watershed in the political history of the country.
With Hon. Wadada being the pioneer Chairman of the House Committee on Capital Market, his obvious link with the private sector in Nigeria is noteworthy considering the urgent need to diversify the economy of Nasarawa State.
Hon. Wadada won several awards as a result of his relentless effort to deliver quality service to his country at large and Nasarawa State in particular. In 2007, he got a Special Merit Award of Excellence by the Committee for the Defense of Good Leadership. Hon. Wadada was also awarded Merit Award as Most Distinguished Representative by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Hon. Wadada received a Special Merit award by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South West chapter in 2004. Again, in 2007, he received the Prestigious Award from Frontline Women Politicians of Nasarawa State among others.
Being a grass root politician that he is, Hon. Wadada enjoys overwhelming support from not only his immediate constituency, across party lines but also throughout the length and breadth of Nasarawa State.
It’s a well known fact that Hon. Wadada has strong connections and link to influential personalities from within and outside the country, a relationship he has continuously exploited to the benefit of the state by securing employment opportunities for several youths.
In 2013, the National Youth Assembly of Nigeria (NYAN), an umbrella body with membership of over six million youths from across the country, appointed Hon. Wadada its patron. The appointment of the former lawmaker, according NYAN was based on his achievements in the sphere of education, youth empowerment and humanitarian development which impacted positively on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
A polo enthusiast, Hon. Wadada established the Keffi Polo Ranch in 2008 to place Nasarawa State on the global polo map. Not only that, the Ranch holds two annual tournaments specifically in support of humanitarian services.
Isuwa, wrote in from Abuja.