By Richard Elesho
Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, is a chip off the old block. The law maker from Kano State whose father had 40 children, caused a steer on Tuesday when he announced the arrival of his 28th child, on the floor of the House.
Doguwa, 56, incidentally represents Doguwa/ Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State, where a five year old girl, Hanifa Abubakar was kidnapped and murdered by her teacher. He is the oldest serving lawmaker in the Green Chamber.
The lawmaker who currently enjoys conjugation with four wives has a dream. His target is to have clocked 30 children by next year 2023, when the next general election will hold.
The gender and demogragraphy of the children not made public. As congratulatory messages poured in from his colleagues, the lawmaker boasted about his mating prowess.
“This is no longer news. It is no longer news because this thing happened in the last 24 hours. It is true that my beloved family has gotten an additional one person. It is a baby girl. Bouncing. The mother and the baby are hale and hearty.
“The husband is still active. I am here. And I thank God that I kept my word with the House that while I had 27, I promised you that I would continue counting. I want by the grace of God and your prayers that the count would continue.”
Speaking further before the ratification of the electoral bill by the House, Doguwa reportedly said the target was to hit 30 children before 2023 elections and have a polling unit.
“Now that we are considering the Electoral Act amendment, I would also add when we get to the floor perhaps in the Committee of the Whole, I would appeal to my members so that we suspend relevant rules and we have a clause in the Electoral Act where it permits families that do have up to 30 kids in their homes to have an electoral polling unit in that family,” he said.
Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajbiamila, asked if he was working towards a polling unit in his house with two more children.
In response, Doguwa said: “At least between now and 2023 before the elections come, if you allow that, then I would have a polling unit within my home.”
The first class graduate of Bayero University, Kano caught his teeth early in politics. Shortly after graduation, he was elected into the lower House in 1992 under the platform of Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the ill fated Fourth Republic. He was reelected in 2011 and has since retained his seat.
Doguwa emerged as Majority Leader last year. He brought his four wives to the House to drink of that joy.
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to let you know that with me today here, are my four respected wives,” he said, calling on the four to be on their feet for recognition.
“Mr. Speaker, these four wives you have seen have produced 27 kids for me, and I am still counting. I am still counting,”
He emphasized that his father had a four year child among his two score children when he passed on at 84, as his colleagues burst into thunderous applause and hilarious laughter.