Kwankwaso: Lagos Meddling in Kano’s Affairs, She’s Overstepping Her Boundaries

*Alleges plan to hijack state’s taxes, appoint its emir 

*Claims Tinubu treating Lagos better, differently from other states 

*Your remarks are divisive, minister warns

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has alleged undue interference in the internal affairs of Kano State by Lagos, which he claimed was conniving with the federal government to hijack the state’s taxes and appoint its emir.

Kwankwaso raised the concern at the convocation ceremony of the Skyline University in Kano on Sunday.

The former governor of Kano State accused Lagos of attempting to dominate other regions in the country, particularly Kano, because of the overwhelming support it allegedly received from the central government.

Specifically, Kwankwaso accused President Bola Tinubu of giving preference to Lagos State over the rest of the country, citing example of the Kano emirship tussle, in which he claimed the federal government was involved.

“Today, we can see very clearly that there are significant efforts from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country. Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose even our Emir. Instead, they want to impose their own Emir on Kano.

“Today, we are aware that the Lagos young men are working so hard to impose taxes and take away our taxes from Kano and this part of the country to Lagos.

“Even the telephones that we make or register here in Kano, efforts are there to take all the taxes to Lagos. Even our sons and daughters who have bought factories, many of them here in Kano and northern Nigeria, and even banks, somehow, are forced to take their headquarters to Lagos because taxes will now have to go to Lagos.

“Lagos, today, feels they are the only Nigeria, interfering in other states’ affairs. We will not tolerate such actions here in Kano,” Kwankwaso stated.

While urging northern legislators at the National Assembly to remain vigilant and steadfast to protect the interests of Northerners, Kwankwaso, further criticised the leadership style of President Tinubu, which he said has caused untold hardship to Nigerians.

His words: “At this moment, I would like to call all our National Assembly members to keep their eyes open so that they don’t do anything that would cheat the people of northern Nigeria, especially here in Kano.

“We have seen the efforts of some people to make the poor poorer and the rich richer, and I believe this is more dangerous.

“We are witnesses to what happened during the first term, 1999 to 2000, where our members of the National Assembly were bribed and were treated into collecting huge sums of money to support offshore in this country.

“That law dealt a huge blow on our economy, not only here in Northern Nigeria but in all other states,” he lamented.
However, reacting to Kwankwaso’s comment, the Minister of State for Housing, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata,  advised Kwankwaso to desist from making inflammatory statements capable of igniting discord between the two giants states with long history of existing cordial relationship.

The minister, warned that Kwankwaso’s statement could further divide the country rather than uniting it into one indivisible entity.

“As Nigeria navigates complex challenges, leaders must prioritise constructive dialogue and avoid inflammatory rhetoric that can exacerbate tensions.

“By promoting calm and respectful discourse, we can work together towards a more harmonious and prosperous future for all Nigerians,” Ata maintained.