Former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has alleged that the incumbent governor of the state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje didn’t win the 2019 gubernatorial election but instead was imposed by powerful forces.
The former defence minister stated this in an interview with The Punch. When asked how his relationship with his deputy of 8 years and former aide turned out sour, Kwankwaso replied; “Many people ask this question but I always ask the same people another question.
“It is difficult to see anytime, anywhere in this country where a governor handed over to another person either deputy governor, friend, commissioner or somebody from the private sector and not have issues with his predecessor.
“I have not seen a good example. Mine could be extreme because I had been carrying him along for almost two decades.
“For me, first and foremost, it is human nature, especially those who don’t understand. There are people who think they can never go high unless they destroy the ladder they used to climb.
“And there is nothing you can do about it, even though we try to manage them because nobody would like to go into an unnecessary fight especially with a government you helped built both at the state and national levels.
“In any case, God is wonderful. I am sure those who are in positions now must be regretting what they have done, especially in Kano.
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“This country is fully aware that Ganduje lost the election in 2019 in Kano, but the powers that be ensured that they imposed him on the majority. They imposed the will of the minority on the majority which is the worst crime in a democracy.
“I think everybody is paying the price now. I think some of them are trying to correct their mistakes now after the maximum damage made to the state. It is very unfortunate that many people could not see what the masses were seeing.
“There were reasons he would not have been allowed to contest in 2019, but the powers that be at the time insisted that he should continue. The masses decided to do what the leaders couldn’t do. They still came out to use power that time and those of us who believe in peace didn’t want to start a crisis in Kano.
“We had the capacity to stop them and make sure that they were not allowed to perpetrate injustice, but we told our young men and women to cool down.
“We went through the courts. Unfortunately, everyone in this country knows what happened which was not good for the people.
“Courts are the last hope of the weak, but what we saw was really shocking. In any case, the eight years is almost gone with a year and some months remaining which would be dedicated to campaigns, and for him (Ganduje), court cases.
“And God is wonderful. Instead of us being weak, they are the ones getting weaker. Every day, we have people, the masses crossing to our side.
“Many of them who were below 18 years of age during the last elections, but are now of age, are coming to register with us.
“People are now asking how to get out of this mess. All the parties should understand that this time round, people will want to vote for their own and not for the leaders’ friends at the top. Anyone who is not accepted by the people is just wasting his time.
“All those who think they can use INEC and the police in 2023 again to get power are fools because the people are now really ready for change”.
