Kwankwaso Losses Close Ally To Ganduje

By Khadeeja Abdullahi

One of the strongest pillars of the former Governor of Kano state, Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso’s political group, Kwankwasiyya, Gen Idris Bello Dambazau (rtd) on Monday denounces the group officially by attending the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kano Central’s campaign rally and his public removal of the red cap, a symbol of the group, held at Pillars Stadium,  Sabon Gari, Kano.

Dambazau first appeared at Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano, with his red cap, where the Kano Basic Education Week event was taking place, when governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje received him amidst the programme.

A statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to Kano state Governor  Abba Anwar said the retired General followed the governor to the Pillars Stadium when Ganduje announced to the hearing of hundreds of thousands of supporters who were at the stadium to witness transmission of party flags to contestants coming from the zone.

Beginning from the candidate for the Senate, former governor of the state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau down to 23 candidates running for House of Representatives and 40 candidates for the State House of Assembly.

Dambazau to the chagrin of all, lamented how Kwankwasiyya political group has been derailing from the earlier ideas upon which they were formed, emphasizing that, “We came to understand that the group has since derailed and becomes too individualistic, revolving around serving an individual interest at the expense of collective interest.”

After narrating how Kwankwasiyya damages the political culture and decent political engagements amongst its members, the retired General burnt the red cap he wore before thousands of APC supporters. Which eventually paved way for taking up another cap different from the red cap.

Challenging that, “As you see me taking away, from my head, this red cap, I am swearing before you that, Kwankwasiyya, as far as we are concerned is gone for ever from my thinking. I also want to assure you that more juggernauts are coming to the APC from Kwankwasiyya.”

This development, to many, has devastated the Kwankwasiyya circle, as many more people of the group inclination were seen trooping to the Pillars stadium, in red caps denouncing their membership or loyalty to the group.

They sent their special envoys to the governor that, they were at the stadium to inform him that they wanted government to fix them a time when many of them from the 44 local government councils would officially declare to the ruling party, APC.

In his speech at the rally, Governor Ganduje apologised to Kano people that, they elected Kwankwaso as a Senator during the 2015 election, urging that, “When we were conducting the election then, we didn’t have a slightest idea that his election would be a waste of our mandate. He is at the Senate now for the last three and a half years, but it appears he is just there warming seat.”

“He doesn’t utter a word there, he doesn’t even know how to influence any good thing for the benefit of his constituency. He was elected in the last three and a half years, but his constituency, Kano Central is as equal as without any representation in the Senate,” he challenges.

It was as a result of that, according to Ganduje that, they decided to change him with another good material “…who knows his right from his left. Somebody whose pedigree in politics is incontestable. A man whose relationship with his constituency stems from harmony and respect,” he explains.

“We decided to redirect our attention and care to somebody who is a true democrat. A former governor of two consecutive terms of four years each. Not somebody who has two, but breakaway terms. Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Sardauna of Kano,” Ganduje stated.

Shekarau, who spoke on behalf of all the candidates assured their unflinching effort for President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory,  governor Ganduje and all other contestants under the platform of the APC.

He added that, they were assuring all that, come 16th February, 2019, “…we will all come en mass and vote for our people-oriented President Muhammadu Buhari alongside all other contestants. All our efforts will be geared towards that,” he promised.