Why Ganduje/ Kwankwaso feud remains unresolved

Whether one like it or not today Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso representing Kano Central is the most organized and powerful politician in Kano state. In 1999 Kwankwaso was actually defeated by the present Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during PDP Primaries but the exercise was manipulated by powerful Kano elders led by former Minister Musa Gwadabe, Senator Hamisu Musa to favour Engineer Kwankwaso who was then having serious under ground political fight with the first civilian governor of Kano State late Abubakar Rimi, Ganduje later was compensated with the position of Deputy governor to pacify those representing the santsi block headed by Abubakar Rimi.

That was how far Governor Ganduje can boast of politically, since then he has remained in the shadows of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, when Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau defeated Kwankwaso in 2003, the then President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Kwankwaso as Nigeria’s Representative to Dafur, Ganduje was with him as his personal assistant, when Kwankwaso was later appointed on the Board of NDDC he again went with Ganduje later he was appointed to head the powerful ministry of defence and Ganduje again emerge as his personal assistant.

After being out of power for eight years Senator Kwankwaso set up a powerful political structure called “Kwankwasiyya Political Movement” but before then he fell out with Rimi, Senator Hamisu Musa and Alhaji Musa Gwadabe, in fact he did not only fall out with them on many occasions he castigated them openly, in fact Rimi vowed that if he is alive Kwankwaso will never smell Government House Kano again, and when Rimi died some politicians in Kano felt relief that their leader will have easy ride to Government House again.

kwankwaso a Water Engineer by training is a prince from the Madobi ruling family, his father is the Majidadi of Kano and the district head of Madobi Local Government.
He is a ruthless politician, a schemer, and a team player in 2011 he successfully returned to Government House Kano as governor under PDP with Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as his deputy, but when Shekarau became governor in 2003 he set up a probe panel that investigated Kwankwaso found him guilty and slammed white paper on him banning him from holding public office for ten years. Now the question is how did Kwankwaso became governor again in 2011 when he did not serve the ten year ban fully.

A powerful prince from Kano Emirate named withheld told Blueprint that in 2011 Kwankwaso sought the assistance of the late powerful Galadiman Kano Alhaji Tijjani Hashim who in turn directed former Vice President Namadi Sambo to explain to then President Jonathan that if PDP did not give Kwankwaso its governorship ticket it will lose Kano that was how Kwankwaso became governor in 2011 using his Kwankwasiyya platform within PDP, though it was later gathered that some politicians including Ganduje were among those that convinced Shekarau to probe Kwankwaso and slam white paper on him so that Ganduje can contest for the governorship on PDP ticket in 2011.

So now that these two political giants are fighting how will this affect the future politics of Kano? One, as for President Muhammadu Buhari Kano people are not supporting him because of Kwankwanso or Ganduje, the state has being his political base since he joined active politics in 2003.
Two, Kwankwanso who is about 60 years old very rich is in total control of Kano politics, apart from this today he is the darling of Kano electorate because from 2011 to 2015, he sent thousands of Kano indigenes to study in various universities all over the world, including female students, he built the North – West University, he constructed three giant flyovers in Kano, he is established institutions in Kano, he created, Amana, Bandirawo and the Kwankwasiyya cities in built thousands of classrooms, provided free uniforms, free feeding and free education at all level.

Three, Ganduje though is also rich, has no political structure. He re- introduced school fees, sacked sanitation workers, introduced ground rent levies, cancelled Hisbah Zawarrawa Mass Wedding, did not send single a student abroad. In fact, initially Kwankwaso turn down all lobbies to endorse Ganduje to succeed him. Left to Kwankwaso he wanted either Dr. Yunusa Dan Gwani, Engineer Rabiu Suleiman Bichi or Kabir K. Yusuf to succeed him. But when Ganduje emerged Governor Kwankwaso vowed never to go to Kano again but had to do so when Ganduje lost his mother.

Dan Gwani political adviser to Senator Kwankwaso told the press recently that they are not bothered that all members of Kano House of Assembly, some senators from Kano and some members of House of Representatives have dropped their Kwankwasiyya red cap and pledged loyalty to Ganduje, “the Senator is still the father of Kano politics”.
Hajiya Rashida Adamu adviser on women affairs to Ganduje told our correspondent that Kwankwaso is no longer the leader of Kano politics they are now loyal to Governor Ganduje and they will return him back for second term in 2019.

As to who is in charge of Kano politics? The debate continues and it is clear that Governor Ganduje may find it difficult to secure a second term, because recently in Kano he publically vowed to expose how former Governor Kwankwaso looted Kano treasury and left behind only N400 billion for him to work which has rendered his government ineffective.

Further to the issue Ganduje quickly ran to Abuja and pleaded with President Buhari to intervene in the Kano crises though it seems a lasting peace has been secured those close to Kwankwaso told Blueprint that the Senator who is politically vindictive and unforgiving is waiting for 2019 to deal with Ganduje. He was quoted as saying if he can deal with Rimi, Musa Gwadabe, late Ado Bayero, Hon. Kawu Sumaila, Abacha’s multi-billionaire son Muhammed, Ghali na Abba then Ganduje must be on his knees to pay for confronting his boss.