A week ago, the ancient city of Kano witnessed a colourful spectacle as one of Nigeria’s most respected legal minds, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud (SAN), was turbaned with the traditional title of Garkuwan Kano by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II. The event was held at the emir’s Gidan Rumfa palace. The Garkuwa title is one of the most prestigious honours in the Kano Emirate. Historically, it is one of the most important titles in the Emirate titles in the emirate’s system of honour, recognising individuals who serve as protectors of the community, moral and symbolic shields for the society. The title is given to people who have demonstrated strong contributions to community development, education, and youth empowerment.
The event drew distinguished personalities who witnessed the historic occasion, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kano state governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice-Presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Kano Deputy Governor, Murtala Sule Garo. Other dignitaries include Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Kano NDC governorship candidate Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo and a host of dignitaries from across the country. There was also a strong delegation from civil society, academia, labour and social movements from across the country. Comrade John Odah, former General Secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress led the radical wing adorned in a magnificent baban riga that was used for the very first time. Nurudeen Farah, the great African writer offered reflections on the rise of xenophobia in a well-attended side event. Not surprisingly, a large delegation of lawyers also graced the occasion.
AB Mahmoud, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice of Kano State has long been celebrated for his activism, intellect, and commitment to justice and social welfare. From his student days, he earned a reputation as a progressive voice, championing education, emancipation of women, youth empowerment and national unity. His turbanning as Garkuwan Kano is seen not merely as a ceremonial recognition but as a symbolic affirmation of his role as a guardian of the emirate’s cosmopolitan heritage and values. The title Garkuwa, which translates to “Shield of Kano,” carries profound cultural significance. It is not about military defence but about safeguarding the emirate’s traditions, promoting unity, and embodying social responsibility.
In his conferment address, Emir Sanusi II described Mahmoud as a man whose life’s work reflects the ideals of protection, guidance, and service to humanity. The emir said, “We gave you the title of Garkuwa, having looked at your enormous contribution to the legal sector and what you represent in the area of ensuring social justice and how you served the state as former Commissioner of Justice, became one of the faces of Kano and the north, when you led the NBA.” The Emir also drew attention to the formidable role A B Mahmoud played in defending Kano Emirate’s 1000-year history when it was threatened by politically motivated demolition in the recent past.
For us, his friends, we offer our gratitude to the Almighty on this momentous occasion marking his turbanning as the Garkuwan Kano. This significant honour reflects not only Mahmoud’s remarkable achievements, but also the respect and admiration he commands among his peers. As we said in our joint tribute, we are delighted to celebrate this milestone with him, recognising the dedication and integrity defining his personal and professional journey, his unwavering commitment to the development of the legal profession, of Kano, and the nation at large. Mahmoud’s illustrious career demonstrates an exemplary character, vision, and a deep sense of responsibility to friends, family and community. His humility, wisdom, and dedication to the defence of just causes have earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues, friends and all those that had the privilege of working with him. As he assumes the revered title of Garkuwan Kano, we are confident that he will continue to champion the values of honour, unity, and progress, and urge him to be unrelenting in the defence of the values and causes he has stood for throughout his life and career. May his reign bring further prosperity, peace and harmony to Kano and to the nation at large.
A B Mahmoud is the bearer of a rich legacy of public service advocacy which is worth recalling here. The first stage of that legacy was our collective engagement as students in the struggle for the emancipation of all oppressed peoples and persons. In the good old days of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria when every intelligent member of the university community was a member of a Marxist study circle, we devoted our time and energy to understanding modes of exploitation and oppression and the importance of resistance. We studied the modus operandi of imperialism, colonialism and capitalism. We were not shy in our ambition, we decided to organise a revolution that would transform the system and emancipate the people. Since then, we learnt to understand that the revolution would not occur in our life time but we retained the lesson that in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we will struggle for liberation and emancipation. It has become a profound imprint in our lives. We did not waste our time. We learnt a lifetime commitment to leaving society better than we found it.
The second stage was Mahmoud’s vision of law as defender of the public good. As everybody knows, the best lawyers are the ones who learnt their trade from a left-wing tradition. Mahmoud was called to the Bar and his decision was to join the public service to defend the interest of the people. He had zero interest at that time in using law to make money through private practice. Mahmoud was the first lawyer in the Kano State Public service that went through every grade in the Ministry of Justice starting as Pupil Counsel and going through all the steps to Solicitor-General and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. He saw his mission as using law to secure the interests of the people of Kano State and he was very successful in that enterprise. Having gone through all of what he could have done in public service, the only option left for him was private practice, a sector he ended up excelling in.
The third stage is that of community engagement in defence of the public good. A B Mahmoud has remained very engaged in community life and defending the general interests and lives and livelihoods of ordinary people. We worked together for example on a Kano Forum on Covid-19 when we discovered at the very beginning of the pandemic that Kano was an early site of infection and had a very high death rate. We worked on community awareness programmes, engaged with the State Government on the best policy options to adopt and worked with philanthropists to provide relief. Another area of work for AB has been on the environment, a theme in which his own father had been active in and made significant contributions and will now be the fulcrum on which the AB Mahmoud Environment and Sustainability Trust will focus their work in the coming years.
The summary of the argument here is that maybe the best way to start a life of service is to commence with a commitment to Marxism. I most sincerely thank His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, for the grace and honour bestowed on our friend and comrade AB Mahmoud.
A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.
