Digesting Ganduje’s Invitation To Gov. Abba Yusuf, Others

By Abdullahi Yusuf

A popular Hausa maxim about Kano politics says: “Siyasar Kano Sai Kano,” meaning, Kano politics is unique, played nowhere else but Kano.

Kano politics has always been vibrant, amusing, intriguing and interesting to most of its practitioners, observers and/or analysts, including yours sincerely. In fact, there are no dull moments in Kano politics.

Wether played on the podium, the local radio or television, on the pages of newspapers and magazines, Kano politics never ceases to amuse its analysts as well as its observers.

Elections or no elections, campaigns or no campaigns, Kano politics is played all year round, only that it gathers more momentum when general elections are approaching, as witnessed in events leading to the 2023 general elections.

Right from January 2023, Kano residents have continued to be treated to heightened but interesting political activities with a new dimension now being witnessed in the invitation extended by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), His Excellency Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP), and his aides, to join the APC.

Arising from an expanded Kano State APC stakeholders’ meeting chaired by him last Thursday in Kano, Ganduje said the invitation was aimed at boosting the party’s membership in Kano State towards transforming the state into a one-party state controlled by the APC.

The APC national chairman said the decision to invite Governor Yusuf and other members of the NNPP in the state was part of the resolutions of the expanded stakeholders’ meeting.

“We, stakeholders of the APC in Kano State have resolved to invite the Governor of Kano State, his officials and other members of the NNPP, to join our great party, the APC.

“Our party’s doors are wide open to receive you and all other members of the NNPP into the APC and we are creating an enabling environment for you to join our party,” he said.

Ganduje said that many Senators and members of the House of Representatives had joined the party, and that very soon, some Governors would also join, asking, “if we can do it at national level, why can’t we do it at state level.”

This interesting political development came less than two weeks after the Supreme Court judgement which validated the election of Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP.

The verdict followed Yusuf’s Appeal against the declaration of Dr Nasiru Gawuna of the APC as the duly elected Governor of the state by the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

Although Ganduje in his invitation did not mention his former Principal, Sen.Rabiu Kwankwaso, it was clear that the gesture included him, as Kwankwaso is not only a member of the NNPP in Kano State, but also its National Leader.

As the people of the state, especially the NNPP and APC members were digesting the invitation, Governor Yusuf responded, thereby enriching the ensuing conversations.

Speaking through his Director-General of Media and Publicity, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on BBC Hausa Service, the Governor said he had yet to be contacted on the issue of joining the APC.

“We learned about the invitation on Social Media, but Dr Ganduje, as a former Governor and former Deputy Governor, knows,more than any other person, how to send a message to an incumbent Governor, appropriately,” he said.

Dawakin Tofa said the Governor had not taken any position on whether to leave his party, the NNPP, or not,” but as we learned about the issue on Social Media, so we left it there.”

The conversations making waves in the state largely focus on the workability or otherwise of Dr Ganduje and Sen.Rabiu Kwankwaso and Governor Yusuf his Political godson, belonging to the same political party again, having been in a protracted political rivalry spanning several years.

More especially in view of the political issues that occurred between them before, during and after the 2023 general elections, particularly the governorship poll which resulted in a protracted legal battle that lingered up to the Supreme Court.

Tongues are also wagging among both supporters of the NNPP and APC in the state not only over the feasibility of Kwankwaso and Ganduje belonging to the same party again, but also about whether the political realignment will “sufficiently take care of our interests.”

Such interests it was gathered, include appointments into government positions, political party offices and other party patronages to be redistributed if and when the NNPP members finally join the APC.

What is now left to be seen is Governor Yusuf’s decisive acceptance of Ganduje’s invitation if he is formally contacted by the APC leadership to join the party.

Time will tell whether or not the Governor, his aides and Sen. Kwankwaso will accept the historic gesture.