The recent attempt to weaponise an old newspaper report against Hon. Sanusi Faruk Jauro (SF), the Labour Party Deputy
Politics is a contest of ideas, records and capacity, not a competition in selective storytelling.
If those raising questions about the reported cases are genuinely interested in accountability, then let them publish the complete court records, subsequent proceedings and final outcomes. A report that somebody was arraigned is not the same thing as proof that the person was convicted or found guilty. The public deserves the whole story, not a carefully selected portion designed to create a predetermined impression.
And this is where the conversation about Sanusi Faruk Jauro must begin.
SF is not a political newcomer who appeared from nowhere because of a 2027 arrangement. He is a grassroots politician whose political journey predates the current political fashion.
He started from the grassroots, served as a Councillor and was subsequently elected by the people of Toungo Constituency into the Adamawa State House of Assembly in 2007. His political experience earned him the confidence to serve in the leadership of the House, including as Majority Leader under the PDP administration when Admiral Murtala Nyako was Governor.
His political career has also seen him serve as an adviser in the Nyako administration and later as Commissioner for Youths and Sports under Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
These are not insignificant footprints.
SF has operated across different political administrations and has maintained relationships across political divides. His political journey demonstrates something increasingly rare in Nigerian politics: political relevance built over time through relationships, grassroots mobilisation and participation in governance.
Those who understand Adamawa politics know that political influence is not created on social media. It is built constituency by constituency, community by community and relationship by relationship.
That is why his emergence as Senator Ishaku Abbo’s running mate on the Labour Party platform should not be dismissed as an accident or reduced to an allegation from years ago.
It reflects political calculations about experience, grassroots reach, acceptability and the ability to connect with different constituencies across Adamawa State.
Let us also be intellectually honest.
Every politician, like every human being, has a history. If there are legitimate questions about any person's past, let the questions be subjected to evidence, due process and the complete facts. But turning an allegation or court appearance into a permanent political conviction without establishing the final outcome is neither journalism nor responsible political criticism.
It is political propaganda.
And there is an even bigger question for those suddenly presenting themselves as custodians of moral standards:
Is the standard going to apply to everybody, or only to Labour Party candidates?
Because if the opposition wants to open the book of political histories, then let us open everybody's book fairly, factually and without selective editing.
We have no problem with scrutiny.
Bring the records. Bring the evidence. Bring the final judgments.
But do not mistake political blackmail for accountability.
Hon. Sanusi Faruk Jauro has spent years in public service and grassroots politics. His record should be judged comprehensively, not by one newspaper report, not by political insinuations and certainly not by the desperation of people who have suddenly discovered an old story because an election is approaching.
The 2027 election will not be won by recycling old allegations.
It will be won by competence, credibility, structure, grassroots acceptance and the confidence of the people.
And on that battlefield, SF is not a political lightweight.
He is a seasoned grassroots operator, a former legislator, former legislative leader, former adviser, former commissioner and a politician with decades of experience navigating Adamawa's political terrain.
If they want to attack him, let them attack his ideas, policies and record of service.
But if they choose to play the game of selective political exposure, they should remember that political history is a two-way mirror.
Before pointing the finger at SF, perhaps they should be prepared for the public to ask:
What does the record of their own candidate say?
We are ready for that conversation.
2027 is coming.
And this time, the people deserve facts not manufactured narratives, selective outrage and politics of character assassination.
Sanusi Faruk Jauro is not perfect. No politician is. But he is experienced, politically tested, grassroots-connected and relevant to the political equation of Adamawa State.
That is the SF they are afraid to discuss.
Written by Bimga Shamaki from Ganye Chiefdom.
0 Comments