The Fulani Man Who Defeated His Own Party To Rule Enugu Again Malam Umaru Altine was a Fulani man from Sokoto Province. He was not from Enugu but he made history there. He came to Enugu as a cattle dealer and settled at Coal Camp where the coal miners lived. There he married an Igbo lady named Esther, and that made him even closer to the people. He entered politics through the Zikist Movement where he served as Secretary General and later became Vice Chairman of the NCNC Youth Association in Enugu. He was a loyal member of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC party. Because he was loved by the ordinary people at Coal Camp, the NCNC nominated him to contest for Mayor. He won the election in 1952 and became the first elected Mayor of Enugu Municipal Council. He served from 1952 to 1956. When his first term ended, some leaders in the NCNC decided they wanted an Igbo man as Mayor. They asked Altine to step down and they brought out a new candidate named D.T. Inyang to replace him. Altine refused to step down. He resigned from the NCNC and contested as an Independent candidate. To the surprise of many, he defeated the NCNC candidate and won his second term. He was re-elected as Mayor and served from 1956 to 1958. He was known for wearing his babban riga and turban to office, sometimes a suit, and for going to church and football fields whenever his duty as Mayor required it. He grew up in the palace of Sultan Siddiq Abubakar of Sokoto who reigned for 50 years. He is remembered today as proof that Nigeria once practiced politics without tribe.