By Adamu Abuh, Kano
The
recent 2-day visit to Kano State by President Muhammadu Buhari has opened fresh
insights into what may occur on the state’s political terrain regarding preparations,
conduct and outcome of the 2019 governorship. Eyes are already on incumbent
governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who is expected to seek reelection on the
platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The
governorship contest promises to be an interesting one as Ganduje will have to
contend with various candidates from many political parties and camps to be
able to sustain his control of the state’s government machinery.
However,
his main hurdle remains whether he would be able to survive the machinations of
the opposition from within his APC that are being championed by his
predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Ganduje parted ways with
Kwankwaso due to irreconcilable differences over issues of governance of the
state shortly after he mounted the saddle in 2015.
From the
sack of Kwankwaso’s loyalists from the Kano executive council to the
dismantling of his control of the APC structure, there is yet to be sign that
the frosty relationship between the erstwhile political allies will thaw with
less than a year and half to the 2019 elections.The development has led to
whispers that there could be a repeat of the 2003 governorship poll outcome
which saw Kwankwaso, then the incumbent governorship candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) losing out to a relatively unknown Malam Ibrahim
Shekarau of the defunct All People’s Party (APP).
At the time, groups loyal to the
late former Second Republic Governor of old Kano State and founding member of
the PDP, Dr. Abubakar Rimi, who were opposed to Kwankwaso’s second term bid,
pitched their tent with supporters of the APP backed by Buhari who had just
joined the party as an opposition figure, to turn the table against the ruling
party.
Many however insist that Shekarau
could not have recorded such victory with the PDP incumbency factor on the side
of Kwankwaso if not for what was to be later termed as the Buhari hurricane,
which also rubbed off positively on scores of elective office holders in Kano
and several other core northern states. Even currently, virtually all the
elective office holders including Ganduje and other core northern states still
attribute their victory to Buhari who eventually made it to the presidential
villa on the platform of the APC in the last presidential poll.
The conspicuous absence of Kwankwaso
and members of his Kwankwasiyya group during Buhari’s Kano visit has further
reinforced the deep-seated animosity between the two conflicting political
figures.The former governor was said to have opted to travel to Egypt where he met
with indigent Kano State students enrolled to study medical courses as part of
his constituency project in an apparent bid to convey the impression that he
was truly in tune with the needs of the ordinary folks in the state.
With the APC structure firmly in the
grip of Ganduje, there are talks that Kwankwaso and some of his supporters in
both the National and State Assemblies would be blocked from reclaiming their
seats on the platform of the APC ahead of the 2019 poll. This has led to
speculations that members of the Kwankwasiyya group may be left with no other
option than to either take a cue from the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar
and return to the PDP, or pitch their tent with any of the viable registered
parties in the country.
The question remains whether the
infighting would be enough to negatively affect the fortunes of Ganduje who is
already savouring Buhari’s endorsement that he hopes would provide the needed
leverage for him to get reelected. During the president’s visit, the utterances
of Buhari clearly placed Ganduje in a position to effectively lay claim to a
second term as the governor made a huge political capital out of the event.
Ganduje also used the opportunity of the visit to rubbish the notions held
among members of the Kwankwasiyya group that he was not in the good books of
President Buhari.
While showcasing various
developmental projects executed since he assumed office in May 2015, the
governor maintained that he had been able to put his adversaries to shame with
Buhari’s visit to the state. The president who inaugurated several projects,
including the multi-billion naira Giginyu Hospital named after him, applauded
Ganduje for the completion of the gigantic project aimed at boosting quality
health care for residents of Kano.
According to him, “The change agenda
is to reform Nigeria and Nigerians and to uplift the well being of Nigerians. I
am highly proud to see what Ganduje is doing in Kano. I urge other governors to
emulate him on services to humanity because I am proud to see this giant job on
ground. I commend you Mr. Governor, for trying to make life easy for Kano
people.”
Both Buhari
and Ganduje were roundly endorsed for reelection by an APC stakeholders’ parley
that involved both appointive and elective officials of the state at both the
state and national levels, held during the visit. The governor, who spoke
during the parley at the Kano Government House, justified the decision noting
it was borne out of the fact that the President has lived up to the expectations
of the people of the state.He said, “You have got the support of Kano during
the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 general elections and 2019 will not be an
exception. You have been enjoying the support of Kano people since you joined
politics and you will continue to enjoy it.
“Mr. President, your two-day working
visit to Kano has put to rest some mischievous speculations that when you visit
the state, you will have nothing to commission. You have come and commissioned
some multi-billion naira people-oriented projects which we executed for our
people.”Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa,
who spoke in the same vein on behalf of the members of Kano caucus in the
National Assembly, noted that the fact that the people of Kano, who were once
at the mercy of the activities of Boko Haram insurgents can now sleep with
their two eyes closed, is enough testimony that the APC-led administration has
lived up to its campaign promises.
By hosting Buhari and getting a
commitment of support from the president who is almost a cult figure among the
people of his state, Ganduje may have effectively shut the door against
opposition to his reelection in 2019.However, the Kwankwasiyya group of his
erstwhile godfather and former governor, would not allow Ganduje to have a
smooth sail as events in the months preceding the election, will certainly
reveal.
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