2023 Guber Race: Discontentment Rocks Kano APC Over Ganduje’s Anointed Candidate
- Deputy Gov Gawuna’s choice splits stakeholders
- Ex-Speaker, Rurum quits ruling party
- Kwankwaso, NNPP woo aggrieved APC members
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Stakeholders’ discontentment is currently rocking the Kano State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) following Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s decision to anoint Deputy Governor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna as his successor come 2023 general elections.
Competent sources confirmed that ahead of the party’s gubernatorial primaries later this month, Governor Ganduje took many by surprise when he handpicked Gawuna as the APC’s preferred choice for next year’s contest during a stakeholders’ meeting held behind closed doors at the Kano State Government House last weekend.
Inside sources at the meeting that lasted from Saturday night to early Sunday morning hinted the decision has left a sour taste in the mouth of some stakeholders who were already positioning themselves or proxies for the ruling party’s ticket through the gubernatorial primary route.
Forefront gathered that amid the decision by former Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly and a governorship aspirant, Kabiru Alhassan Rurum to bid the ruling party farewell, there are heightening fears of impending stakeholders’ revolt in the State chapter
According to our sources, the governor’s dictatorial attitude in singlehandedly offering the ticket to Gawuna is now causing ripples within the APC family already fractured by the Supreme Court’s decided contestation between former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau’s faction and loyalists of Ganduje.
Insiders said though currently in hush-hush tones, the protestations against the governor’s moves seem to be gathering momentum with some party stalwarts reported to be meeting clandestinely in pursuit of their political aspirations in 2023.
Specifically, reports said despite prevailing on the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo, to abandon his governorship ambition and become Gawuna’s running mate in the election, the last words might not have been heard on this contentious issue.
Forefront reliably gathered that the coming days may unfold many uncommon political moves, particularly from agitated supporters of Garo, considered the favourite candidate of Governor Ganduje’s wife as well as others with governorship aspirations.
As expected, former Speaker Alhassan Rurum’s exit from the ruling party has left tongues wagging that Ganduje’s action may serve as the needed tonic for opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to sweep back to power in the State.
Also, speculations are rife that Rurum may soon pitch his political tent with the rejuvenated New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) which has former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as its new National Leader.
Similarly, there are strong indications are strong that the NNPP, fully backed by the popular Kwankwasiyya Movement, is banking on shoring up its political capital in the North Central state by wooing Rurum as well as the disillusioned APC faction led by Senator Ibrahim Shekarau into their fold.
While offering reasons for quitting the ruling party, Rurum said it was based on clear marginalisation of the Kano South zone in the scheme of things, especially in the fielding of candidates for the governorship contest.
A statement by Rurum, who represents Rano, Kibiya, Bunkure Federal Constituency and serves as Chairman, House Committee on Pension, said; “I resolved to dump APC on personal grounds and reasons that bothers on the interest of my people from Kano South and Kano State as a whole.
“Since the return of democracy, our zone (Kano South) has never produced Governor or Deputy Governor. We have been sidelined.
“So this time around, I discovered that we (Kano South) are about to be left out of schemes of things. And that was why I decamped from the APC.”
Assuring supporters and admirers that his governorship aspiration remains intact, Rurum said; “I will announce my new party at the appropriate time.”
