His political career started in 1998, during the transitional programme of late General Sani Abacha, where he contested and won with landslide, senatorial election into the then National Assembly on the platform of United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP).

At the start of Fourth Republic in 1999, he contested and won the senatorial election on the platform of All Peoples' Party (APP).

[5] He re-contested and won the Yobe North Senatorial District election in April 2003, on the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform.

[9] Albishir later transferred to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in hopes of winning the 2011 governorship election on that platform.

[10] On 11 January 2011, at the PDP primaries held at the August 27th Stadium in Damaturu, Yobe State, Usman Albishir defeated former minister of Police Affairs Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri and Mallam Garba Umar to clinch the party's governorship ticket for the general election in April 2011.