By Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada
The All Progressives Congress in Kano will face a serious internal crisis ahead of the state congress of the party that’s coming in few months.
This is coming after the National Caretaker Extra-ordinary Committee of the party led by governor Mai Mala Buni plans to conduct Congresses for party executives at states and zonal level.
In Kano, the state party chairman Abdullahi Abbas who is in his second term at the helm of the party’s affairs is going, he came in since the beginning of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s first term and got reelected for a second term until when the Caretaker Committee of the party decided to dissolve all state chapters last year.
It’s clear that the battle for the state Chairmanship of the party will plunge it to a serious crisis as some aspirants have indicated interest for the seat.
Among them is Ahmadu Haruna Zago, a former chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change in Kano.
His posters and campaign billboards are all over strategic location in the state, he is seen closely to the governor and in all party functions.
According to some analysts, Danzago has the blessing of the governor which led some stakeholders of the party to wake up against his aspiration.
Not Danzago alone, others that have interest to contest for the position but have not make it public are Bala Muhammad Gwagwarwa, a former National Treasurer of APC and Murtala Alhassan Zainawa, a chieftain of the party in the state.
Top party men close to the governor revealed that he will support Danzago who has been in consultation with party stakeholders across the state.
This development may not mean well for the incumbent chairman Abdullahi Abbas who is in the same camp with Murtala Sule Garo, a Commissioner for local government in Kano.
Garo and Abdullahi Abbas are said to be supporting the governorship aspiration of the Deputy Governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. They are seeing Danzago as a threat to their candidate.
It’s said that the governor is against such move by Abbas and Garo but secretly supporting the Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation Sen. Barau I Jibrin in his governorship aspiration.
Though, Barau is enjoying the support of the governor secretly, that does not hold water for him as the state first lady Hafsat Ganduje popularly known as Goggo is backing Abbas and Garo who are at the forefront of Gawuna’s aspiration.
The duo are yet to bring their candidate for party Chairmanship against Danzago.
According to POLITICS DIGEST, the camp of the Deputy Governor led by Abbas and Garo will not support Gwagwarwa or Murtala Zainawa as the both cannot be controlled by them looking at their political experience.
Party members loyal to Sen. Barau are said to be in crisis whenever they meet in a political function with loyalists of Garo, Abbas or Gawuna.
It was seen in the recent Hawan Daushe that took place in Kano where many got injured.
Battle for Governorship
So far the party has the highest number of aspirants for the number one seat in Kano. So many aspirants have indicated interest with their posters all over the city of kano wishing people a Happy Sallah during the eidl fitr festivities last week.
Among them are Sen. Barau I Jibrin who has the support of the governor secretly according to insiders. He’s a two term Senator and former member of the House of Representatives. He chairs the senate Committee on Appropriation and is seen as one of the top aspirants with experience and resources to battle for the hot seat.
Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna
He is a former Chairman of Nassarawa Local Government and his performance in that position was very poor. He served as Commissioner for Agriculture between 2013-2015 and 2015-2018 where he was appointed as Deputy Governor of Kano by Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje following the resignation of Prof. Hafiz Abubakar as Deputy Governor.
He holds a Degree in Biochemistry from Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto. He is very diplomatic in politics and ambitious. He’s the backing of majority APC stakeholders with the Ganduje family who have a critical role on who the governorship ticket should go to.
Hafsat Ganduje, the governor’s wife is supporting Gawuna for the race to which some analysts saw as a win win for him.
But in terms of competence and track record, Gawuna is very poor and will not make a good governor for Kano.
“He’s yet to bring his ambition out and Kano needs someone that’s very radical to attend to the mess Ganduje has plunged the state to” Mallam Sani Saidu, a lecturer with the Department of English in BUK said.
In terms of resources, Gawuna cannot come out victorious while the likes of Barau and Waya are in the race.
Inuwa Waya
Though he is yet to resign from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation but Waya is very serious in the race looking at how he is making consultations within the party. It’s said that the governor gave Inuwa Waya the go ahead of moving with his campaign touches and has assured him of his maximum support. A move that some people saw as playing with the intelligence of Waya by the governor.
Inuwa, a lawyer was the Director in charge of legal services of the NNPC before he was moved to another directorate recently.
“Ganduje is not reliable as he speaks from the both sides of his mouth; he may show you that he is with you today and another person the following day”. A source within the party said.
Muazu Magaji
A reputable Engineer that was trained at Bayero University, Kano and Robert Gordon in the UK, Muazu has a very rich CV and Blueprint to lead the Centre of Commerce.
Tagged with Win Win or Dansarauniya, he served as Senior Special Assistant Projects to former governor Kwankwaso and Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure under Ganduje until last year when the governor sacked him for making a derogatory comment over the death of Mallam Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.
He has worked in the oil sector before he ventured into politics. His commitment amd workaholic zeal as Commissioner for works in Kano proved that he means business.
Some people say, Muazu has all it takes but he’s lacking in the moral and character to lead a state like Kano.
Shaaban Ibrahim Sharada
A former radio broadcaster with Freedom Radio in Kano until in 2015 when he was appointed Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Broadcast Media, a position which he served between 2015 to 2019 when he resign to contest for the membership of House of Representatives.
Sharada is very dogged and committed to the cause he is pursuing for. He is a graduate of Mass Communication in BUK and holds an MBA from the UK.
His series of empowerment and face off with Ganduje on policies affecting the masses has earned him respect in the eyes of the people.
Despite being a member of the House of Representatives under APC, Sharada didn’t hesitate to speak the truth to power.
He currently chairs the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
Ismaeel Buba Ahmed
He’s the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Investment Program and member of the APC Extraordinary Convention Caretaker Committee led by Mai Mala Buni.
Ismaeel is a party man, so eloquent and blunt, he has all it takes to lead the commercial hub.
He read law at the University of Abuja and an LLM from USA.
He contested for the membership of House of Representatives under the defunct CPC and won until when a High Court in Kano declared Nassir Ali Ahmed as the winner not him.
Like Sharada, Ahmed is at loggerhead with Governor Ganduje unlike other aspirants.
Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado
He’s the Chairman of Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, his track record for modernising a state anti corruption agency to standard has earned him a lot of respect.
He’s a favorite of the governor but looking at the political heavyweight of some of the aspirants and resources, that will not favour Magaji in the race.
A law graduate from Bayero University in Kano, Magaji is the best Anti-Corruption czar in the country.
If track record is a yardstick for giving governorship ticket, then Magaji should be considered.
He was a former Vice Chairman of Rimingado Local Government before he later founded Grassroots Anti-Corruption Awareness Network Initiative, a civil society organisation that sue the government of Ibrahim Shekarau over appointment of Caretaker Committee in local governments of Kano.
A case that he won and led to Interm Management Officers in Local Governments of Kano.
Kabiru Alhassan Rurum
A former Councillor in Lagos, he was the Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly that recommended the dethronement of Muhammadu Sanusi as Emir of Kano.
Rurum is a grassroots mobilizer, he is enjoying the support of APC stakeholders in Kano South who are of the opinion that power should be rotated to their zone this time.
Analysts are seeing Rurum as a mere politician with no blueprint or capacity to lead a state like Kano.
With the touches he is making within the party, he may suprise all.
