Rumble in APC as Ganduje Moves to Pocket Party Structure

POLITICS DIGEST– In a bid to take full control of the party structure in Kano, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was seen holding strategic meetings with All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders from the eight local government of Kano metropolitan, the area where he has a weak base in politics.

The governor was making this move after his wide margin defeat by candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 governorship election Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly referred to as Abba Gida Gida.

If not that the 2019 election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP would have emerged victorious with the high number of votes it secured in Kano metropolitan.

Ganduje was shocked. Despite the stakeholders of the APC in the metropolitan city of Kano, the high number of appointees in his government from the base; the governor had to wake up from his slumber but before he did that, the damage has already been done.

The PDP has started celebrating all over Kano, thinking that an incumbent was defeated until on Monday evening, the 11th of March when the election was declared inconclusive by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Bello Bala Shehu of Federal University, Birnin Kebbi.

The local governments in the metropolitan Kano include, Fagge, Tarauni, Nasarawa, Dala, Kano Municipal, Gwale and Ungogo local government.

It is evidently clear that Ganduje was not the winner of the election. Had it been the PDP presented and proved their case beyond reasonable doubt in the tribunal, all could have been history.

One year after assuming office for second term, Ganduje felt that all is not okay within the party at the Centre. He needs to come in by identifying his key loyalists that will protect his interest and deliver good result for him. This, according to the governor, would help him in avoiding a repeat of the past in 2023.

The governor has started making consultation with stakeholders from all the 8 local governments, where he has even appointed one party leader for each local government, a term that is best described in ‘Hausa’ as ‘Jagora’.

Ganduje has urged and directed all party members to be loyal and answerable to the leader he appointed in the various local governments.

Though, there was misunderstanding in the meeting between stakeholders that bear grudges against each other, the governor had to direct security agencies to arrest the supporters in an effort to maintain peace.

In Fagge, it was between a former Local Government Chairman, Sule Chamber and Ali Baba Agama Lafiya, the Special Adviser on Religious Matters to Ganduje.

Former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly Yusuf, Abdullahi Ata and the member representing Fagge constituency in the green chamber, Aminu Sulaiman Goro.

The meeting ended with no result as the supporters of both leaders were heard chanting the names of the camp they belong to.

Sule Chamber stood and told the governor that stakeholders of the party in the local government didn’t work for the success of the party, but only collected money, a situation that led the party losing in Fagge.

The governor failed in appointing a party leader for Fagge, but had to constitute a committee that will look at the matter.

2 Milion naira was given to the stakeholders of each local government as transport.

In Kumbotso Local Government, Ganduje held a similar meeting with its stakeholders. During the meeting, two leaders of the party had a misunderstanding and were about to exchange blow when the Deputy Governor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna stood from his seat to intervene. The governor asked him not to, a case that surprised many and kept party members in doubt.

Is the governor encouraging fight among elderly people? Or is it another way of politics?

At the end, the governor settled for his special adviser on political matters, Mustapha Bakwana as the leader against the wishes of the member of the House of Representatives of the Constituency, Manniru Babba Danagundi and his supporters.

This is an indication that all is not well and Ganduje is not serious about uniting the party if in his presence, stakeholders would be exchanging bitter exchange.

Same meeting was held with party leaders from Ungogo. A committee was asked to look into their matter and resolve it through the appointment of one party leader that will be accepted by all.

The meeting will be continued in Nasarawa local government, where the Deputy Governor comes from. It was said that the governor has since settled for Bala Muhammad Gwagwarwa as leader of the party, looking at his experience and track record as grassroots politician.

He was a one-time Chairman of Nasarawa local government, former commissioner during Kwankwaso administration and pioneer elected National Treasurer of the APC.

Gwagwarwa was enjoying the support of almost all stakeholders with the exception of few who are said to be backing the governor’s former Principal Private Secretary, Usman Bala Muhammad, and a permanent Secretary in the state ministry of information.

The governor’s next move is Tarauni, Dala, Gwale and Kano Municipal. As the consultative meeting continues, can this move by Ganduje unite APC in Kano looking at how he speaks from the both sides of his mouth? He is not straightforward in his  leadership style and brand of politics, where party members and stakeholders will trust and be loyal to him like they did to his predecessor Sen.Rabiu Kwankwaso?

The governor has a good chance to foster unity among members of his party, but his failure to unite APC members in the state, the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of APC by a court of law, emergence of different Chairmen of the party, and other internal crises is a harbinger of another defeat in 2023 polls and the collapse of the party in Kano, the strongest political hold of President Muhammadu Buhari.