Kano APC Crisis Deepens as C’ttee Endorses Sack of Kwakwanso’s Allies

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Loyalists of the immediate past former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, risk loosing out in the brewing conflict  over the control of the party structure in the state.

The crisis in the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which arose from the face-off between the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Kwakwanso later spilled over to the members of the state executive, leading to the suspension of the state Chairman and Organising Secretary of the party.

Speaking while submitting the report of the fact-finding committee, the Chairman, Senator Mohammed  Magoro, said the state executive followed due process in the suspension of the two state officers.
He said  the three-man fact-finding committee was set up in September through a letter signed by the party’s National Vice Chairman, North-west with some terms of references:

On the outcome of the committee’s investigation, Magoro said it’s findings confirmed that the state chapter acted within its powers to appoint replacements in acting capacity.
“In accordance with the party’s constitution, the Kano State executive followed due process in suspension of the two state officers,” he said.

According to Magoro, the committee first sat in Kaduna and latter moved to Kano where the fact-finding assignment is to be carried out and the panel used the opportunity to pay a visit on Ganduje.
He explained that the committee invited seven persons including the suspended state chairman, Doguwa, the state Organising Secretary, Alhaji Sanusi Kwakwanso and state Assistant Secretary, Salisu Abbas.

However, the committee chairman noted that for the two days they met, none of the suspended officers showed up despite being properly invited.
The fact-finding committee for Kano State included Magoro (Chairman) Senator Abbah Aji and Senator Saleh  as members.

Earlier, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-west) explained why the governor and Kwakwanso were not invited to appear before the committee, saying that the mandate of the fact-finding committee only restricted them to considering issues relating to the disputes within the state chapter of the party.

Part of the terms of committee’s reference is to determine the propriety of the decision taken by the state executive chapter of the party to remove the state chairman and organising secretary.

Another aspect is to determine whether the decision was in accordance with the constitution of the party and to determine whether the state executive has the power to appoint a replacement of the state chairman and the state organising secretary.

The state executive committee of the  party had suspended Doguwa as chairman and  organising secretary as Kwankwaso,  accusing them of  gross misconduct.
But party insiders said they are being punished for being loyal to Senator Kwankwaso.
The state party Secretary, Abbas Sani-Abbas, who  announced the suspension of the chairman, also announced  the appointment of Abdullahi Abbas as the acting chairman.

Sani-Abbas said the party took the decision in order to allow a seven-man disciplinary committee it set up to investigate the alleged misconduct.
Abdullahi Abbas, before his appointment was the Special Adviser on Political Affairs to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.