Politics

Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, is dead

Published

3 years ago

2020/11/11

Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, is dead. Balarabe, who was the first governor in the history of Nigeria to be impeached, was 84 years old.

One of the daughters of the former governor, Zulai Balarabe Musa, confirmed the death of her father.

She said Musa died in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to her, the remains of the former governor will be buried after the Zuhur Muslim prayer (1pm) today, according to Islamic rites.

Earlier, former Kaduna-Central Senator, Shehu Sani, had announced the death on Twitter.

Sani said, “Alhaji Balarabe Musa has died. May Allah forgive his soul and grant him Aljanna Firdausi. Amin.”

Balarabe, who was a progressive, was the leader of the People’s Redemption Party in the 4th Republic but stepped down as the chairman in 2018 due to health issues.

Abudulkadir Balarabe Musa was a left-wing Nigerian politician who was elected Governor of Kaduna State, Nigeria during the Nigerian Second Republic, holding office from October 1979 until he was impeached on 23 June 1981.

During the Nigerian Fourth Republic he was leader of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), a coalition of opposition parties.

Musa was elected governor of Kaduna State in 1979 on the platform of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), a party founded by Mallam Aminu Kano. with others such as Abubakar Rimi, Sabo Bakin Zuwo, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Michael Imoudu, Chinua Achebe, Yusufu Bala Usman, Uche Chukwumerije, and Sule Lamido, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) challenged his election unsuccessfully.

His party was initially a member of the PPP alliance in opposition to the NPN, but later quietly withdrew.

As Governor he was stalemated by the Kaduna state house of assembly, which was dominated by NPN members. He was unable to form a cabinet since he refused to nominate NPN members and the House refused to ratify his candidates. Eventually the House impeached him in June 1981, making him the first Nigerian state governor ever to be impeached.