Patrick Yakowa facts for kids

Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa (born December 1, 1948 – died December 15, 2012) was a Nigerian politician. He served as the governor of Kaduna State from 2010 to 2012. Before becoming governor, he was the deputy governor starting in July 2005. He became governor on May 20, 2010, when the previous governor, Namadi Sambo, became the Vice President of Nigeria. Yakowa won the election to remain governor in April 2011.

Early Life and Education

Patrick Yakowa was born on December 1, 1948. His birthplace was Fadan Kagoma, which is in the Jema'a area of what was then the Northern Region of Nigeria.

He went to St. Mary’s Secondary School in Fadan Kaje. Later, he attended St. John College in Kaduna. He then got into Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. In June 1972, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences.

Working for the Government

After finishing university, Yakowa began working for the government. He joined the Civil Service of North Central State. He held various roles, such as Division Officer. He also worked as a Secretary in the Military Governor’s Office. He even served as a Local Government Sole Administrator.

He moved up the ranks to become a Permanent Secretary in the Kaduna State civil service. In this role, he led important departments like Health, and Works and Transport. In 1990, he started working for the Federal Government. From 1994 to 1997, he was a Commissioner in Kaduna State. After this, he returned to the Federal Civil Service. He worked at the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. He retired from the civil service in June 1999.

His Journey in Politics

After his civil service career, Patrick Yakowa became very active in politics. In 2003, he helped Ahmed Makarfi get reelected as governor. He also chaired a committee for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State.

In September 2003, he was appointed Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State. Then, in July 2005, he became the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State. This happened after the death of the previous deputy, Stephen Shekari. In 2006, he wanted to run for governor. However, Namadi Sambo was chosen as the PDP candidate instead. Yakowa then became Sambo's running mate, and they won the election.

In December 2009, some people claimed that the government was not treating Southern Kaduna fairly. Yakowa, who was from Southern Kaduna himself, denied these claims. He said the government was working hard to provide services there. He also encouraged people from his region to support Governor Namadi Sambo for a second term. He suggested they wait until 2015 for a governor from Southern Kaduna.

Becoming Governor

In May 2010, there were rumors that President Goodluck Jonathan would choose Governor Namadi Sambo as his Vice President. If this happened, Patrick Yakowa would become the new governor. This was a big deal because he would be the first person from Southern Kaduna to be governor. He would also be the first Christian governor in the state. Some leaders from the Northern part of the state were not happy about this idea.

The rumors turned out to be true. On May 20, 2010, after Sambo became Vice President, Yakowa was sworn in as the Governor of Kaduna State. To make everyone feel safe and included, he said: "I am governor for all, no matter their religion or tribe."

Yakowa successfully ran for governor in the April 26, 2011 elections. He ran under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was a close election. He received 1,334,319 votes. This was 200,755 more votes than the candidate from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Haruna Sae'ed.

A Sad Day: His Passing

On December 15, 2012, Patrick Yakowa died in a helicopter crash. The accident happened while he was flying from Bayelsa State to Port Harcourt. He was returning from a funeral in Bayelsa state. General Owoye Andrew Azazi, a former National Security Adviser, also died in the crash.

The day after, on December 16, 2012, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero was sworn in as the new governor. He had been Yakowa's deputy.