Former governor of Kano and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general election, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has described his political protégé and immediate-past governor of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, as his political son who is too intimidated to look him in the face.
Kwankwaso made this known in response to the threat allegedly issued by Ganduje to slap him if they met at the presidential villa on Friday. Both politicians were at Aso Villa on Friday for separate briefings with President Buhari on developments in Kano State.
While speaking to BBC Hausa on Saturday, Kwankwaso dismissed the threat by Ganduje, saying, “I heard that he [Ganduje] said he would slap me, but it’s an empty threat. He was just confused. These are all my boys politically. They can’t even look at me straight on the face if we meet. He was in a confused state when he said that. If they see me, they would lower their gaze.”
Kwankwaso also alleged that Ganduje sold a department in a university and replaced it with a plaza, sold plots of land belonging to the Kano Race Course, Eid Ground, and Hajj Camp to cronies and family members, and carried out other atrocities while in office.
He further revealed that he informed Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of the alleged atrocities committed by Ganduje’s administration, and that Tinubu was shocked by the revelations.
Despite the uproar caused by Ganduje’s decision to begin the demolition of houses belonging to Nigerians allegedly constructed on the right-of-way to a major road in Kano metropolis without adequate notice, Kwankwaso defended his former protege, stating that he was only fulfilling his campaign promises.
This latest confrontation between Kwankwaso and Ganduje gives further insight into the political dynamic of Kano State, where it has become commonplace for erstwhile political associates to turn against each other resulting in violent confrontations and vocal disagreements.
