Ganduje: Politics Is A Wicked Dance

“Ganduje is already on his way out. It would be “good riddance, to bad rubbish” for the dramatis personae. Good riddance to Abba Yusuf (Gida Gida), good riddance to Kwankwasso, good riddance to Tinubu, and finally good riddance to Kano and Nigeria’s politics. Ganduje has shown himself not to be intelligent in politics…” 

BY JOSHUA D. EPHRAIM

It is now Yusuf Abba’s time (Kano Governor) and his political leader and former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwasso, to take their “pound of flesh”.

That is at the state level, but this will have a “spill-over” effect, at the national level, because it would seem Kwankwasso has some yet-to-be-disclosed interests, at the national level, as some of us suspect in the current political circumstances.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is Kwankwasso’s man. The duo were in the National Assembly together during former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s seeming endless experimentation with civil democracy.

Secondly, there were speculations arising from meetings when Tinubu became President that he may give Kwankwasso a role to play in his government.

That being so, it became very difficult for both Tinubu and Kwankwasso to navigate the political terrain in such a way that the embattled immediate past governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje would not feel ostracized, and react negatively.

Tinubu is happy with Ganduje because he was one of the few Hausa-Fulani Governors that came out openly and boldly to identify and support Tinubu’s Presidential ambition even when others were doing some kind of “hide-and-seek” games.

The challenge Tinubu faced was the role to give to Ganduje in view of his bold support. Yet Ganduje had openly acquired, unfortunately, a reputation of being a corrupt person. The problem was how he would engage Ganduje in a way that he (Ganduje), would not feel politically ostracized having served Tinubu’s ambition amidst very stiff opposition from Ganduje’s Hausa-Fulani political elite.

Finally, Tinubu thought of the Chairmanship of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), after all, Party Congresses could come any time soon, not too far away.

Then, in the interim, what will Tinubu do with Kwankwasso, his long -time friend, colleague at the defunct National Assembly and the god-father of Kano politics?

Kwankwasso had shown himself to be in-charge in Kano, and not Ganduje as shown in the just concluded gubernatorial election in Kano and as always.

Politicians do have their eyes on numbers, and Kwankwasso would give him the numbers – thinking forward – with 2027 in mind. Yet, both Kwankwasso and Ganduje can no longer co-exist in the same party and the same government.

As to the two, who would Tinubu choose? In politics, what matters is interest. What would Tinubu’s interest be in Kwankwasso and Ganduje? Now, and in 2027?

The choice is very clear. The time to take action is now. Yet, this action has to be discreetly taken so as not to offend anyone, because as the saying goes, “nobody knows tomorrow”.

Certainly, the decision has been taken long ago: “Ganduje is to be made the “sacrificial lamb”. He has to be sacrificed to clear the way for Kwankwasso.

That done, Kano would be assured, should Tinubu be already calculating ahead of 2027. It would be a “sure-banker”, with Kwankwasso by his side. The Kano votes in the North-west geopolitical region are very tempting. Who knows, Kwankwasso could very well be his next Vice-President, at most, or at least a minister!

Yet, when Ganduje is sacrificed, he would not blame Tinubu and in fact, may be very willing to accept any role in Tinubu’s government either now or in 2027.

You do not openly make enemies in politics. Everybody is “your friend”, but inwardly could be an “enemy”.

Secondly, you keep things close to your chest. It is like a chess game.

Thirdly, you do not get emotional and sentimental. This is an aspect of politics we in Southern Kaduna, have to learn. There are different “seasons” in politics. If you mix the “seasons”, you may not go far.

Now, back to the Ganduje saga. Ganduje is already on his way out. It would be “good riddance, to bad rubbish” for the

dramatis personae. Good riddance to Abba Yusuf (Gida Gida), good riddance to Kwankwasso, good riddance to Tinubu, and finally good riddance to Kano and Nigeria’s politics.

Ganduje has shown himself not to be intelligent in politics as he seems to lack wisdom.

…Mr. Ephraim can be reached via joshuadanladiephraim@yahoo.com