Aminu Kano

==== Bauchi Discussion Circle ====
BDC held weekly discussions, attracting various attendees like department heads, administrators, merchants and teachers. The number of participants surpassed that of the previous Bauchi General Improvement Union (BGIU), attracting moderates who felt more at ease given the government's sanction. Aminu, as secretary, was in charge of sending out invitations and choosing the topics to be discussed. These topics discussed included economic development, democracy, medicine, war and religion. When the topic was freedom of the press, Aminu and Zungur highlighted the contradiction in British policy, arguing that on the one hand they suppressed and privately condemned the only voices independent of the emirs and on the other hand, they publicly encouraged independent thought and initiative.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=89}}

In a discussion on indirect rule, he argued that "it had outlived the purpose for which it was originally intended" and that it was "the most exploiting system of colonial administration the world had ever known".<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=90}}<ref name=":6" />{{Rp|page=100}} He further pointed out that at the time of the British takeover, the [[Sokoto Caliphate]] and [[Emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate|its emirates]] had morphed into a system unintended by [[Usman dan Fodio|Shehu Usman dan Fodio]], its founder. Aminu argued that the [[List of sultans of Sokoto|succession of caliphs]] was meant to be based on merit rather than birth and that the [[Autocracy|autocratic]] system of governance was against the teachings of the [[Muhammad in Islam|Islamic Prophet Muhammad]] and the Shehu. Balewa, being more of a moderate than Aminu, lightly defended the indirect rule system, arguing that the maintenance of law and order was essential in securing the foundation on which desired reforms could be carried out. Zungur, bedridden during the session, in response to Balewa, wrote his own arguments in a letter which was delivered to the discussion circle by Aminu during the following session. In this letter, he bolstered Aminu's arguments while adding a few of his own.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=90}} He urged Balewa to reconsider his "ill-conceived" defence of indirect rule and further argued:<blockquote>The selection of its [the Native Authority's] gutter elite is being made neither on the basis of intelligence nor capacity, but simply by denial of the decent citizen's outlook. Members of the ruling minority have the readiness of desperadoes to gamble, with nothing to lose but everything to gain.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=90}}</blockquote>During another meeting, Aminu posed a question to Officer Knott: 'What determines an emir's salary?' Knott responded that it depended on the extent of his duties and the weight of his responsibilities. Aminu then pointed out that despite having fewer constituents and responsibilities compared to the Emir of Bauchi, the [[Adamawa Emirate|Lamido of Adamawa]] received a higher salary. Following this exchange, the meeting abruptly ended. Soon after, Knott announced the termination of the BDC, citing that the discussions were 'getting off the rails'.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=91}}<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=423}}