By Tom Garba
A powerful coalition of women across Adamawa Central Senatorial District has launched an unprecedented campaign to draft Engr. Dr. Aishatu Aliyu Umar as their candidate for the Nigerian Senate in 2027. From bustling markets to rural villages, young professionals and elder stateswomen are uniting under the banner “Zab inbin Jama’a 2027.”
All Women Together for 2027 to champion a leader they believe is uniquely equipped to deliver development, accountability, and progress to the region.
The movement began in Hong Local Government Area, Dr. Aishatu’s hometown, where thousands of women gathered in solidarity.
What started as community conversations has rapidly grown into organized rallies in Gombi, Song, and Jada, drawing broad-based support. “Dr. Aishatu is not just a candidate, she is our proven solution,” said a 48-year-old teacher from Gombi. “She has built infrastructure that lasts. Now she must build policies that transform lives.”
At 54, Engr. Dr. Aishatu Aliyu Umar represents the ideal blend of technical expertise, managerial acumen, and grassroots credibility that Adamawa Central urgently needs in the Senate.
Born on 12 August 1971 in Hong, she rose through academic excellence and professional distinction to become one of Nigeria’s most respected civil engineers and development strategists.
Her educational foundation is rock-solid: a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Maiduguri in 1995, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from Obafemi Awolowo University, a Master’s in Management from Nile University Abuja, and a PhD in Management from the same institution in 2022.
Her doctoral research focused on strengthening small and medium enterprises in Adamawa State; a direct blueprint for economic revival in a region plagued by unemployment and underdevelopment.
Professionally, Dr. Aishatu serves as General Manager (Structural Design) at the Federal Housing Authority in Abuja, a position she has held since 2015. She has overseen the design and construction of critical infrastructure, including high-rise estates in Gwarimpa II, flood-resistant drainage systems in Apo, and durable road networks in Lugbe.
Her career trajectory – from Civil Engineer II in 1998 to Chief Civil Engineer and now senior management – reflects discipline, results, and rising responsibility.
She is a COREN-registered engineer and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers, and Institute of Corporate Administration.
She also holds membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers. With over 150 national and international awards, including the NSE Presidential Merit Award, Sir Ahmadu Bello Platinum Leadership Award, and the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers Outstanding Leadership Award, her excellence is globally recognized.
In 2019, she made history as the first woman elected National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers, where she championed cost efficiency, structural safety, and professional standards.
Since 2022, she has served as Africa’s Continental Representative on the World Council of Civil Engineers, advocating for sustainable infrastructure at forums in Singapore, Portugal, the United States, and Ethiopia.
Yet her strength lies not only in global stature but in deep local roots. Conferred the traditional title Sarauniyar Hong by her community, Dr. Aishatu remains a devoted mother of five who regularly returns home to train women in entrepreneurship, secure grants for local businesses, and advocate for water projects and rural roads.
Her PhD research directly informs her vision: using data-driven policy to grow Adamawa’s economy from the ground up.
Supporters highlight why she is the ideal Senate candidate: she understands infrastructure because she builds it; she grasps economic policy because she has studied and implemented it; and she commands respect across generations, tribes, and professions.
In an era of political defection and distrust, Dr. Aishatu has never switched parties for convenience. Her loyalty is to service, not survival.
Young women like Amina, a 22-year-old engineering student at Nile University, lead digital campaigns under Sarauniya for Senate 2027, while elders like 52-year-old Mama Galadima, a retired educator from Jada, mobilize prayer networks and voter education drives.
Together, they are submitting formal requests to the APC leadership and INEC, urging Dr. Aishatu to declare her candidacy.
“Adamawa Central needs a senator who can draft bills on water security, secure federal funding for rural electrification, and hold contractors accountable,” said one of the the coalition members. “Dr. Aishatu has done all this in practice. In the Senate, she will do it in policy.”
Engr. Dr. Aishatu Aliyu Umar is not waiting to be chosen – she is being called. And the women of Adamawa Central are determined to ensure their voice is heard in 2027.
