By Maikudi Lawan, PhD
Your Excellency, the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on behalf of the good people of Kano State and members of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly from Kano Central Senatorial District I wish to express our profound appreciation for the appointment of Rt—Hon—Yusuf Abdullahi Ata as the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development.
Sir, the appointment of Ata, a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly from the Kano Central Senatorial District, has not only balanced the political equation in our beloved state but has also alleviated the concerns of the people of Kano Central.
Before Ata’s appointment, we, the people of Kano Central, were not adequately represented in the federal cabinet. The four prominent positions given to our state were skewed in favour of the Kano North Senatorial District.
The National Chairman of our great party, the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullah Umar Ganduje, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi T. Gwarzo and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Rt Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar Bichi, are all from the same Senatorial District – Kano North.
Consequently, when the announcement nominating Hon. Ata—who is a grassroots politician—for the ministerial role, thunderous ovations resonated throughout Kano Central, which comprises 15 local government areas and is regarded as the vote bank of Kano, the Centre of Commerce. This jubilation was not confined to APC members; it spread across various sectors, including traders, students, women, and clerics, and even included supporters from the ruling party in the state, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
In fact, the NNPP senator representing Kano Central, Senator Rufai Hanga, publicly supported Ata’s appointment, calling him a political juggernaut and a dedicated grassroots politician.
Yes, he lamented that his seat was threatened as Ata had filled the vacuum created by Kano Central’s poor representation in your cabinet.
Challenged by this development, the NNPP and some of their agents within our party attempt to sow discontent and mislead you through an open letter written by one Yusuf Gogori.
Since Ata’s appointment, the people of Kano Central, who previously felt alienated and sidelined, have been reintegrated into the political mainstream. We now have a sense of belonging, feel part of the system and anticipate reaping the benefits of our hard work.
Contrary to the claims, Ata’s appointment has united us within the party and positioned us favourably for the upcoming 2027 elections. All loyal members of our party, including our leader, National Chairman Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, support Ata’s appointment, recognising that he has the best interests of the party, our state, and the nation at heart.
Since our party was defeated in the last governorship elections, one individual, the rallying point of the APC in Kano, is the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, CFR. He has consistently supported the national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in oiling the political structures of the APC.
Because of his numerous interventions, thousands of NNPP members, including their leaders and the state governor’s aides, have dumped the red cap for the APC. This gives NNPP and their leader, the party’s presidential candidate in 2023, Eng Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, sleepless nights.
Both within and outside the APC, Senator Barau, who played a leading role in your campaign in Kano and the North, has endeared himself to the people since the return of democracy in 1999.
It is worthy of note that Barau remains the only individual to have won National Assembly elections in two different senatorial districts. In 1999, he represented the Tarauni Federal Constituency of Kano Central, and he has represented Kano North Senatorial District three times, from 2015 to the present.
During the last general elections, he was the only senatorial candidate from our party to be returned elected, a testament to his popularity among his constituents in the 13 local government areas of Kano North.
Mr President, thank you for addressing the lopsidedness, thus giving the people of Kano Central Senatorial District a sense of belonging. With this, the bickering has been laid to rest.
Your Excellency, sir, we are grateful
Dr Maikudi Lawan, writes from Gwale LGA of Kano Central Senatorial District.