The 10th January 2026 has come and gone, but it’s a red-letter day in the lives of thousands. Rt. Hon. Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR who turned 60th on this day was born.
He is trained lawyer, administrator and a parliamentarian extraordinaire, who has impacted and continues impacting on the lives of people.
To him, and particularly those who have benefitted from his large heart, his Golden Jubilee is not ‘just a number,’ but a PIN to his massive contribution to the development of his State and the country. His 60th birthday is therefore a profound anniversary.
I first met Senator Tambuwal at the National Assembly in 2007 when serving as the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Rt. Hon Babangida Nguroje and later Honourable Usman Nafada CON, the then Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives respectively from 2007 to 2011.
I got closer and got to know him more when he became a Principal Officer, the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives in 2007.
Tambuwal’s journey to this day began in 2003 when he won election into the House of Representatives to represent Kebbe/ Tambuwal Federal Constituency.
On June 6, 2011 he triumphed over the preferred PDP candidate, Mrs. Mulikat Adeola, to be elected Speaker, not a small achievement given the prevailing tradition of leadership imposition by the executive.
Under his leadership, the House of Representatives has become a more vivacious arm of government Nigerians come to respect and take serious notice of. These feats were achieved as the members discharged their duties without unwarranted meddling in their official conduct by the House leadership or the executive.
His stance and that of the Green Chamber on national issues during his tenure as the Speaker, often at variance with the government, illustrate that the chamber has ceased being a rubber stamp or the annex of the executive.
Whichever way one stands, there is no denying that Tambuwal today is a factor in Nigeria’s political terrain. He has proven his leadership qualities.
Having exhibited his leadership knowhow in pioneering the affairs of the Green Chamber as the Speaker, Governor and now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he is qualified to hold any political office in Nigeria.
He is urbane, a patriotic Nigerian and can never be accused of been a religious, regional chauvinist or a tribal jingoist.
His wide contacts and acquaintances across the country with people irrespective of religion, ethnic, party affiliations and region stand him as a unique politician. It is interesting however that since 1999, efforts by all those who have held Tambuwal’s position as Speaker of the House of Representatives to win election into other offices, either legislative or executive, have proved futile, except, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari.
He decamped from APC to PDP as a first term sitting Governor and got reelected in 2019 and at the end of his tenure in 2023; he got elected to the red Chamber as a Senator.
It has never been said, even in whispers, that Tambuwal arrogated power and protocols to his office, or had an imperial disposition before his colleagues and aides.
At home, office or gatherings, wherever you meet him, you glimpse in him a leader that is at ease, accessible and listening.
This author served as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC) from 2011 – 2015, served his ADC from 2015 – 2021 and served as his Chief Security Officer (CSO) from 2021 – 2023 respectively.
The mentorship I received from him for a very long term of serving him as a trusted aide shaped my professionalism, strength my sense of duty by reinforcing values of loyalty and commitment to service which prepared me for the political leadership I am currently occupying today as an elected Member of House of Representative since 2023 and currently contributing to the service of my constituency, my state and the country at large.
Happy Birthday and many happy returns to Rt. Hon. Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR.
Hon. Ja’afaru Yakubu is a Member Representing Bali/Gassol Federal Constituency of Taraba State
