The immediate-past governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has reacted to a threat by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to suspend him for staging a “violent rally”.
Mr. Kwankwaso, a serving senator, had on Monday visited Ganduje town on a condolence visit to his successor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who lost his mother recently.
However, the Kano APC said the condolence visit was deliberately turned to a violent rally to cause mayhem in the state, abuse the governor and President Muhammadu Buhari.
APC chairman in the Kano, Umar Doguwa, had on Thursday addressed a press conference alleging that Mr. Kwankwaso had exhibited “acts of indiscipline which should not be allowed to go unpunished”.
Mr. Doguwa said the party leadership and elders had approved the constitution of a disciplinary committee to penalise Mr. Kwankwaso.
However, the camp of the former governor, on Friday, issued a statement, saying the former governor refrained from visiting the state since May 29, 2015 when he handed over to Mr. Ganduje in order not to interfere with the state’s affairs.
According to the statement, Mr. Kwankwaso had given his successor “space and time to settle down and consolidate on Sen. Kwankwaso’s successful programmes and projects that resulted into 100% APC’s success in the 2014 local government and 2015 general elections respectively”.
The statement, signed by Mr. Kwankwaso’s aide, Yunusa Dangwani, also said the senator found it pertinent to visit his successor and condole with him over the death of his mother.
It said there had been close ties between Messrs. Kwankwaso and Ganduje, being his former deputy for eight years and also his former Special Adviser when Mr. Kwankwaso served as Minister of Defence.
The statement added that Mr. Kwankwaso also “deliberately gave short notice for the condolence visit, but was pleasantly surprised by the turnout of the good people of Kano who came to receive him at the Malam Aminu Kano Airport and escorted him to Ganduje village”.
The statement added that by the time Mr. Kwankwaso’s convoy arrived Ganduje town, they were surprised “that some local people brandished local weapons, not minding the somber occasion. It is unfortunate that they could not be chided, thus we left them with their weapons at Ganduje”.
“It is therefore appalling and rather unfortunate that the good gesture of Sen. Kwankwaso has been mischievously interpreted wrongly.
“It is also disheartening that few hours after the death of our state Deputy Chairman Alhaji Isa Ali Danmaraya the government was busy coercing and misleading some party leadership into addressing a press conference that will only culminate in splitting the APC in Kano,” the statement said.
The statement further warned Mr. Ganduje to desist from dragging the name of President Muhammadu Buhari to cover for his administration’s “obvious weaknesses”.
Mr. Kwankwaso therefore urged the governor to “strive to concentrate on facing the enormous challenges of governance such that, perhaps, he may also be revered and respected by the good people of Kano State”.
