His first move is creating tension and anxiety in the House of Representative. His appearance is reminiscence of the maverick politician, the chairman of the infamous and defunct Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), Arthur Nzeribe. Like Nzeribe, he is said to be going solo, keeping to himself and creating around himself an aura of mystique among his colleagues. He hardly engages in banters with anyone in the society.

Mallam Umar Farouk, perhaps, starved of political attention, may have assumed a national prominence when he stirred the hornet's nest by jumping into the fray to, according to him, establish the true position of what transpired in the House car scandal. The self-styled pro-democracy activist stunned the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges investigating the alleged N2.3 billion car purchase saga with what some have termed a turgid confession on Thursday, November 13, when he appeared before it. Farouk had alleged that he was recruited by five lawmakers he described as "dissidents" to spearhead a smear campaign against the leadership of the House. He gave a vivid account of the series of nocturnal meetings he held with Independence Ogunewe, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), from Imo State and his "accomplice" where they "commissioned me with N1 million bribe to initiate the sack of the House speaker, Dimeji Bankole."

Hear him: "During the meeting, he solicited my support to follow the foot steps of Festus Keyamo in the struggle to discredit the leadership of the House on the car contract controversy. They gave me the sum of N200, 000 to rally support of the pro-democracy groups, organise a press conference calling for the immediate resignation of the speaker and also print 'Bankole Must Go' leaflets for the purpose of circulation within strategic areas of Abuja in order to generate sympathy from the general public against the speaker and by extension the entire House leadership."

Farouk, not to the surprise of many though, passionately, and maybe, vehemently, too, urged Nigerians to forgive him because, according to him, "I decided to own up after realising that the allegation by Ogunewe and his four other colleagues was borne out of selfishness."

This allegation, which Gbenga Odunwaiye, and Festus Adegoke, two PDP representatives from Ogun and Oyo states respectively have denied with a threat to institute a court action against Farouk for splotching their names in separate responses, has attracted sharp reactions from Nigerians.

A constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje says "Farouk is not worthy of any credibility in any reasonable society. This was a man who was dismissed from the Nigerian Army in 1993. This was the same man that went to Rotimi Amaechi that he was going to help out during the PDP crisis and Amaechi drove him. Is that the type of person to trust? In my opinion, he should be picked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), because he has more questions to answer. He does not have truthful and credible antecedent," Agbaje said.

Farouk, who was born on August 11, 1970, is an indigene of Garko Local Government Area of Kano State. He is the pioneer Secretary General of Northern Youth Congress for Democracy and Justice (NYCDJ), and director, Campaign for Human Rights Monitor (CHRM).