By ISMAIL OMIPIDAN
Kano State is a politically conscious environment. In Nigeria’s political history, the immediate past governor of the State and a serving Senator, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is the second governor, to give his deputy, an opportunity to succeed him.
The first person to record the feat was Senator Sani Yerima, the then Zamfara governor, who after eight years in office provided the platform in 2007, for his deputy, Mahmuda Shinkafi, to succeed him. But it did not take long before they went their separate ways, with Shinkafi, abandoning the then All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, on whose platform he had won the governorship election, in 2007, for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the build up to the 2011 polls.
Ironically, Shinkafi’s first coming in 2007, was adjudged by many, as remarkable. He had assumed office with a passionate resolve to build infrastructure in the State, a thing that was clearly neglected by his predecessor. And he performed so well within his first year in office, so much so that his administration earned the sobriquet of “A Gani A Kasa”, meaning “project of reality, which we can see on ground.” But his good works failed to earn him a second term, in 2011. Will Ganduje, end up like Shinkafi?
Like Shinkafi, Like Ganduje
Like Shinkafi, Ganduje, has also fallen out with his former boss, Kwankwaso. But unlike Shinkafi, Ganduje remains a strong stakeholder in the All Progressives Congress, APC, the platform, on which he won the governorship, two years ago. If anything, Sunday Sun gathered authoritatively that, Kwankwaso, may be the one to be sent out of the party, ahead of 2019.
Until 2003, Kano was an exclusive territory of the PDP. But Buhari did the magic, when he rallied support for Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, a relatively unknown teacher-turned politician, who ended up sacking Kwankwaso, in 2003. But before Shekarau could complete his first tenure, he fell out with Buhari, and Buhari and his men tried, albeit without success to prevent him from securing a second term. During the party’s primary in 2007, Buhari had sided with Shekarau’s former deputy, Magaji, to clinch the party’s ticket ahead of Shekarau. Shekarau’s name miraculously found its way on the Ribadu’s list of indicted politicians. Interestingly, the man who handled the controversial fertilizer contract, that almost did Shekarau in, was allegedly introduced to the Kano State government by General Buhari.
In spite of the squabbles between Buhari and Shekarau, which saw Buhari’s men and women openly campaigning against Mallam, as he is fondly called, towards the build up to the 2007 polls, he weathered the storm and broke the jinx of a second term in Kano, thus, eroding the Buhari factor, albeit temporarily, in Kano politics.
The 2011 Elections
In the build up to the 2011 polls, the major opposition in the State was the PDP, which lost the state in 2003, not only because of the implementation of Sharia, which Mallam capitalised on, but owing largely to the in-fighting within the party. Even in 2007, but for its internal wrangling, the party would have won the governorship, in spite of the fact that it fielded a relatively unknown politician in the State, Garba Bichi, as its candidate.
Bichi did not start off as a contender; he was a running mate to Kwankwaso in the build up to the 2007 polls. But the former governor had to give way when it became apparent that his indictment by the Shekarau’s administration would be used against him even if he emerged victorious at the polls. Sunday Sun recalls that Kwankwaso did not lose in 2003 because of non-performance, apart from the strong Sharia sentiment; his open association with former President Obasanjo contributed to his woes.
But because he believes he still has something to offer the north’s commercial nerve centre, once the 2007 elections was won and lost, he began preparations early enough for the 2011 polls, as he formed a political movement, known as Kwankwasiyya. The movement was so strong that it came handy, in prosecuting the 2011 polls. He was to later emerge victorious at the polls.
But no matter how strong the movement may appear then, the Buhari factor also helped him to maintain a winning streak in Kano, after his surprise return in 2011, in spite of a big wedge placed on his path, by the PDP chieftains, from both within and outside the State. Interestingly, Buhari factor sent him packing in 2003, when he sought a re-election. Buhari factor also helped him to return to power in 2011, after his then nemesis, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, fell out with Buhari, before the 2011 polls.
2015 Polls
In the build up to the 2015 elections, crisis broke out in the PDP in 2013, which saw two States, Kano and Sokoto, leaving the then ruling party, PDP, for the opposition party, through the defection of their governors. And once Kwankwaso joined the APC, he automatically became the leader of the party in the State, a thing that forced Shekarau, a hitherto leading figure of the APC in the State, to leave for the PDP. Ironically, Kwankwaso and others had left the PDP, because they felt pary leadership in their various States, were imposed on them, against their wish.
Therefore, at the polls, the same Buhari factor, coupled with Kwankwaso’s outstanding performance, made the APC’s victory against the PDP double sure. Besides, the old PDP members were angry that the governorship ticket went to a new entrant. All these, made it difficult for the PDP, to make any headway in Kano.
And the Bubble burst
Before March 2016, when the crisis between Kwankwaso and Ganduje became public knowledge, both gladiators tried to manage it, pretended all was well. But Sunday Sun can authoritatively reveal that the duo had fallen out, barely five months after Ganduje, was sworn in. The first major disagreement they had was over cabinet appointments. Unknown to Kwankwaso, while electioneering was on; Ganduje was already drawing up the list of his cabinet members. And by the time the list was released after the inauguration of the new government, Kwankwaso and his men felt shortchanged. It did not take too long before both camps, on daily basis, took to radio stations in Kano, to pour venoms at each other.
However, the last straw that broke the camel’s back, occurred in March this year, when Kwankwaso’s supporters besieged Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), to receive the former governor, who was visiting the State for the first time, since May 29, 2015, to condole with Ganduje, who had lost the mother, four days earlier.
The supporters, Sunday Sun gathered, were clothed in branded T-shirts, and they were all carrying presidential campaign posters, that bore the pictures of Kwankwaso. Once Kwankwaso arrived, he was led by the army of supporters to Ganduje town, Dawakin Tofa Council of the State.
Moves to Suspend Kwankwaso
Following the Kwankwaso’s visit, and the attendant crisis that followed, the State chapter of the party, addressed the press, where it made known that it would investigate the former governor over what it termed the “unruly conduct” of his supporters during the former governor’s visit to the governor’s country home, in Ganduje.
Addressing journalists, the State party chairman, Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, while accusing Kwankwaso and his supporters of being unruly during the condolence visit, further said: “the APC and the Elders Committee in the State were not informed about the former governor’s visit; therefore, they condemned and dissociated themselves from the unruly manner and texture of the visit. For the presidential campaign started by Kwankwaso’s supporters, we wish to categorically state that there is no vacancy for him in 2019. Our loyalty and commitment is still to President Muhammadu Buhari, and our leader in Kano is Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. This is the stand of the APC in Kano.”
Kwankwaso reacts
In a swift reaction then, Kwankwaso, through his former Chief of Staff, Dr. Yunusa Adamu Dangwani, defended the former governor’s action, saying “since May 29, 2015 when the then governor of Kano State, now the Senator representing Kano Central, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, handed over the mantle to Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the distinguished Senator has not visited Kano so as to give the new governor space and time to settle down and consolidate on successful programmes and projects of the APC.
“The news of the demise of Hajiya Fatimma Umar Ganduje came to Senator Kwankwaso as a great shock, which, according to traditional norms, necessitated the visit to Kano. The visit was very important, especially considering their close ties as his former deputy for eight years and special adviser as minister of Defence. He, therefore, found it pertinent to personally visit Kano to condole with the governor, his family and the people of Kano State.
“He deliberately gave a short notice for the visit, but he was pleasantly surprised at the turnout of the people of Kano to receive him. On this note, on behalf of Senator Kwankwaso, we wish to use this opportunity to thank the people of Kano for the show of support and solidarity. Against this backdrop, at Ganduje town, we were surprised that some local people brandished local weapons, not minding the sober occasion. It is unfortunate. It is, therefore, appalling that the good gesture of Senator Kwankwaso has been mischievously interpreted wrongly. It is apt at this juncture to call on the Kano State government to concentrate on the enormous challenges of governance and earn the respect of the people,” he said.
Ganduje fires back at Kwankwaso
To show his displeasure towards the attitude of his former boss, Ganduje, threatened to expose some works Kwankwaso did as governor, which according to him, were full of “misdeed and betrayals”.
He further said: “Kano people will always resist any attempt by anyone to shortchange them – which Kwankwaso did. Yes we knew the genuine projects including the shoddy ones which I will not tolerate by exposing them for people to judge his action. But because God wants to expose his antics which he has been doing against the President, he chose my mother’s death to launch the presidential campaign, but we leave him with the people.
“A lot of things have been happening now. Some people have been trying to undermine President Muhammadu Buhari with all sorts of things. We will not tolerate it again here in Kano. We are tired of it. We are solidly behind President Muhammad Buhari and his programmes. Kano people will not support anybody working against President Buhari.”
Once the governor spoke, for the first time, in anger, all cabinet members, House of Assembly members, two of the three Senators and some members of the House of Representatives, all threw their red caps away, to demonstrate their unalloyed support and loyalty to Ganduje, who till date, wears the red cap, which became the official cap, shortly after Kwankwaso’s return, in 2011.
APC National Secretariat looks the other way
Although the National Secretariat of the party tried to intervene, there was nothing concrete from the party, to show sincerity of purpose, as the party appears being careful, not to offend either of the feuding personalities. And if recent events are anything to go by, the feud, Sunday Sun learnt, is far from being over. Only about two months ago, October, to be precise, Kwankwaso was asked by the State Government to shut up, or he be exposed.
A member of the Kwankwaso’s group had asked the governor to drop his red cap, since all his cabinet members and supporters have since dropped theirs, or be ready for a legal action.
In reacting to that challenge, the State’s Information Commissioner, Muhammad Garba, issued a statement, where he said Ganduje was at the forefront of the re-introduction of the red cap, in 2011, adding that “this deliberate distortion of facts and spreading of falsehood is capable of provoking the government to drop its non-confrontational stance and institute commission of inquiry to prove the previous administration, particularly on illegal land deals, education and infrastructure.”
Last Line
The way things are, should there be a contest in Kano today, and the two gladiators decide to go their separate ways, the two of them may lose out. Ironically, the crisis between the two gladiators, according to Dr. Junaid Mohammed, a Kano-based Politician, is caused by “some small boys, all of whom were Kwankwaso’s creation- they are inconsequential in Kano politics.” But how the two gladiators manage their relationship, will go a long way to determine their political future.