Men Eyeing Ganduje’s Job in Kano

Ibrahim Shuaibu writes on the political atmosphere in Kano State ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election

As the 2023 governorship election in Kano State draws closer, political parties particularly the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have commenced moves  to persuade the electorates.

The parties began their preparations in full swing using various styles aimed at convincing the citizens to give them the mandate with which to govern the commercial state for the next four years. The candidates rolled out various promises on what they will do if given the mandate in 2023.

APC

The All-Progressives Congress is the ruling party in the State which controls the majority in the State House of Assembly. It has two serving Senators in the National Assembly, members from Kano North and South senatorial districts and most members of the House of Representatives from the State.

The party is also controlling the 44 local governments including some federal government appointees under the party. APC is running for two terms in the state and had recorded laudable programmes under Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the party unanimously endorsed the choice of Governor Ganduje’s successor, MrNasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who is the incumbent deputy governor of the state. He is believed to be working hard to actualize his ambition to succeed Ganduje and become the governor of the state. Gawuna promised the party and entire citizens of the state that his government will continue with the laudable projects and programmes initiated by his principal, Ganduje, whose tenure will end on May 29, 2023.

Gawuna is seen as an easy-going politician whose dealings cut across all the political parties and his straightforwardness and deft tactics on issues will help him to actualize his ambition.

Ganduje who endorsed his deputy, Gawuna, as his successor, also picked his former commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, MurtalaSuleGaro, as  Gawuna’s running mate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

As a deputy governor,  Ganduje said, “he makes good use of his office, a very loyal lieutenant who is very loyal and dependable.”

For  Garo, the governor said, “He is a real Commander, who is loyal and committed to our cause. This is a very fearless confidante. If you want a clear and clean political fight, you need somebody who is energetic, loyal and fearless. That is MurtalaSuleGaro for you.”

NasiruGawuna is a former Chairman of Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state who served as Commissioner for Agriculture between 2013 and 2015 and from 2015 to 2018 when he was appointed Deputy Governor of Kano State by MrAbdullahi Umar Ganduje following the resignation of the then deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar. He holds a degree in Biochemistry from Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto. He is very diplomatic and ambitious.

His running mate, MrGaro, is well known to most people across the length and breadth of the state and he enjoys the support of majority of local government chairmen across the 44 local government areas of the state.  He’s a grassroots politician that controls the majority of the political class in the state. He has the backing of a majority of APC stakeholders.

PDP

The PDP in the state is embroiled in a legal battle and leadership crises. The party conducted a parallel congress which produced two candidates from different factions.

SadiqAminuWali

He was Kano State Commissioner for Water Resources under Ganduje administration, though a card-carrying member of PDP, he is also the son of a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador AminuWali.

In a parallel party congress, MrWali was elected as the party’s candidate against the other aspirants like Alhaji Ibrahim Al-Amin, Yusuf Bello Dambatta, MuazMagaji, among others.

Muhammad SaniAbacha

He was also elected as the party’s governorship candidate from the other camp loyal to the party’s leadership recognized by the court. Abacha defeated AlhajiJaafarSani Bello during the party election held at Lugard road, headquarters of the PDP in the state.

NNPP

NNPP is the party with the majority of its members loyal to the former Governor of the state,Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who joined the party after leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over allegations that the party lacked internal democracy.

The NNPP is now the major opposition party in the state with thousands of members who are massively decamping to the party from the ruling APC and the PDP. The party has a serving Senator, Ibrahim Shekarau as its member, some national assembly members and State House of Assembly members. The party is now home to people who were upset over the leadership style of their former party, and those who left in protest after losing their former party’s ticket to run for another four years in various elective positions.

Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, who contested for the governorship under the PDP, has clinched the governorship ticket of NNPP through consensus and affirmation by 1,452 delegates of the party.

Recall that Yusuf lost to the incumbent Governor Ganduje, after the election was declared inconclusive and a re-run election was conducted in the state.

Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)

SalihuTankoYakasai was elected as the party’s Governorship candidate after a keenly contested election of the party. Yakasi served as Special Adviser on Media to Governor Ganduje and resigned from his position and dumped the party for the PRP.

He is a young politician admired by the majority of the youth in the state who see him as their Messiah. Dawisu (Peacock) as he is popularly known in the state, became a role model for the youth, students and upcoming politicians for his attitude to reality and truth.

African Democratic Congress (ADC)

The Chairman of Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the party through consensus.

 Sheikh Khalil, a former gubernatorial aspirant of PDP, before moving to APC and later defected to ADC, pledged to give priority to education, health, youth development and economic growth, and vowed to take over power in Kano State.

A political analyst, Muhammad Bashir explained that the 2023 elections in Kano is going to be top as the voters promised to vote the candidates of their choice who will pilot the affairs of the state for the next four years. According to him, “From what I have seen, this time around, there will be a massive turnout by the electorate. We are appealing to the INEC to ensure a credible and smooth election.”

With a fierce battle ahead, only time will tell who will eventually emerge winner come 2023.

the 2023 governorship election in Kano State draws closer, political parties particularly the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have commenced moves  to persuade the electorates.

The parties began their preparations in full swing using various styles aimed at convincing the citizens to give them the mandate with which to govern the commercial state for the next four years. The candidates rolled out various promises on what they will do if given the mandate in 2023.

APC

The All-Progressives Congress is the ruling party in the State which controls the majority in the State House of Assembly. It has two serving Senators in the National Assembly, members from Kano North and South senatorial districts and most members of the House of Representatives from the State.

The party is also controlling the 44 local governments including some federal government appointees under the party. APC is running for two terms in the state and had recorded laudable programmes under Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the party unanimously endorsed the choice of Governor Ganduje’s successor, MrNasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who is the incumbent deputy governor of the state. He is believed to be working hard to actualize his ambition to succeed Ganduje and become the governor of the state. Gawuna promised the party and entire citizens of the state that his government will continue with the laudable projects and programmes initiated by his principal, Ganduje, whose tenure will end on May 29, 2023.

Gawuna is seen as an easy-going politician whose dealings cut across all the political parties and his straightforwardness and deft tactics on issues will help him to actualize his ambition.

Ganduje who endorsed his deputy, Gawuna, as his successor, also picked his former commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, MurtalaSuleGaro, as  Gawuna’s running mate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

As a deputy governor,  Ganduje said, “he makes good use of his office, a very loyal lieutenant who is very loyal and dependable.”

For  Garo, the governor said, “He is a real Commander, who is loyal and committed to our cause. This is a very fearless confidante. If you want a clear and clean political fight, you need somebody who is energetic, loyal and fearless. That is MurtalaSuleGaro for you.”

NasiruGawuna is a former Chairman of Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state who served as Commissioner for Agriculture between 2013 and 2015 and from 2015 to 2018 when he was appointed Deputy Governor of Kano State by MrAbdullahi Umar Ganduje following the resignation of the then deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar. He holds a degree in Biochemistry from Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto. He is very diplomatic and ambitious.

His running mate, MrGaro, is well known to most people across the length and breadth of the state and he enjoys the support of majority of local government chairmen across the 44 local government areas of the state.  He’s a grassroots politician that controls the majority of the political class in the state. He has the backing of a majority of APC stakeholders.

PDP

The PDP in the state is embroiled in a legal battle and leadership crises. The party conducted a parallel congress which produced two candidates from different factions.

SadiqAminuWali

He was Kano State Commissioner for Water Resources under Ganduje administration, though a card-carrying member of PDP, he is also the son of a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador AminuWali.

In a parallel party congress, MrWali was elected as the party’s candidate against the other aspirants like Alhaji Ibrahim Al-Amin, Yusuf Bello Dambatta, MuazMagaji, among others.

Muhammad SaniAbacha

He was also elected as the party’s governorship candidate from the other camp loyal to the party’s leadership recognized by the court. Abacha defeated AlhajiJaafarSani Bello during the party election held at Lugard road, headquarters of the PDP in the state.

NNPP

NNPP is the party with the majority of its members loyal to the former Governor of the state,Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who joined the party after leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over allegations that the party lacked internal democracy.

The NNPP is now the major opposition party in the state with thousands of members who are massively decamping to the party from the ruling APC and the PDP. The party has a serving Senator, Ibrahim Shekarau as its member, some national assembly members and State House of Assembly members. The party is now home to people who were upset over the leadership style of their former party, and those who left in protest after losing their former party’s ticket to run for another four years in various elective positions.

Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, who contested for the governorship under the PDP, has clinched the governorship ticket of NNPP through consensus and affirmation by 1,452 delegates of the party.

Recall that Yusuf lost to the incumbent Governor Ganduje, after the election was declared inconclusive and a re-run election was conducted in the state.

Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)

SalihuTankoYakasai was elected as the party’s Governorship candidate after a keenly contested election of the party. Yakasi served as Special Adviser on Media to Governor Ganduje and resigned from his position and dumped the party for the PRP.

He is a young politician admired by the majority of the youth in the state who see him as their Messiah. Dawisu (Peacock) as he is popularly known in the state, became a role model for the youth, students and upcoming politicians for his attitude to reality and truth.

African Democratic Congress (ADC)

The Chairman of Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the party through consensus.

 Sheikh Khalil, a former gubernatorial aspirant of PDP, before moving to APC and later defected to ADC, pledged to give priority to education, health, youth development and economic growth, and vowed to take over power in Kano State.

A political analyst, Muhammad Bashir explained that the 2023 elections in Kano is going to be top as the voters promised to vote the candidates of their choice who will pilot the affairs of the state for the next four years. According to him, “From what I have seen, this time around, there will be a massive turnout by the electorate. We are appealing to the INEC to ensure a credible and smooth election.”

With a fierce battle ahead, only time will tell who will eventually emerge winner come 2023.