THE FIRST FULANI EMIR OF ENUGU-By Hon. Femi Kehinde
*From Sokoto to Enugu: The Inspiring Story of Enugu's First Elected Mayor, Mallam Umaru Altine* *Early Life and Background: Mallam Umaru Altine was born in Sifawa, a town in Sokoto Province, northe rn Nigeria. He belonged to the Fulani ethnic group and was initially a cattle rearer.* *He moved to Enugu, the capital of the Eastern Region, during the early 1950s and quickly integrated into the political and social life of the city. Enugu, at the time, was a melting pot of various ethnic groups due to its status as an administrative and industrial hub.* Mallam Umaru Altine was a remarkable figure in Nigerian history, notable for his achievements as the first elected Mayor of Enugu Municipal Council, serving from 1952 to 1958. His story highlights a period in Nigeria's history when ethnic and regional boundaries were less pronounced in political leadership, as Altine, a Fulani man from Sokoto Province in northern Nigeria, rose to political prominence in the Eastern Region. *Politi...