Kawu Sumaila joined politics in 1991. He was a member of the
Social Democratic Party (SDP), Member Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), which later merged with some other political groups in the country to form what is today known as the
People's Democratic Party (PDP). Kawu served as Deputy State Organizing Secretary and Kano state house of assembly aspirant of PDM and
PDP in 1995 and 1999 subsequently. During Sani Abacha transition programme. Hon Kawu was a member of
United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP). In 2003, Kawu decamped to
All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and contested as member of House of Representatives representing
Sumaila/
Takai Federal Constituency where he served in various committees including Water resources, Interior, Information, Poverty Alleviation and NEMA before he became the Deputy Minority Leader in 2007 after his re-election for the second term into the Lower Chamber. In 2011, Hon Kawu Sumaila was re-elected in to the House and was later retained his position as Deputy Minority Leader. He served as a member of constitutional amendment committee between 2007-2011 and 2011-2015 and also served as member Governing Council of
National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS). Having successfully completed three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, Kawu contested for position of the Executive Governor of Kano State under the platform of
All Progressive Congress (APC). In August 2016, president
Muhammadu Buhari appointed Kawu as his senior Special assistant on National Assembly matters. He resigned to contest for membership of the House of Representatives representing Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency in Kano State under the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in
2019 Nigerian general election ==Political achievements==