- Ganduje suggested that it would be “morally right” to welcome Kwankwaso back to the APC, despite political tensions
- The idea of reintegrating Kwankwaso faced strong opposition from Kano-based party members, including Minister Yusuf Ata
- Ata warned that Kwankwaso’s return could cause significant unrest within the APC, given his declining influence in Kano
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has hinted at the possibility of the party accommodating former Governor of Kano State and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in a move he says is aimed at preserving Kwankwaso’s political future.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, May 6, after a closed-door meeting with the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Bello Ata, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Ganduje said it would be “morally right” to welcome Kwankwaso, whom he claimed had been politically abandoned.
“When a fish is running out of water, that’s exactly what is happening. If the water is drying, the fish has to find its way to water, So we cannot say we cannot accommodate him because a friend in need is a friend indeed. Somebody who has been abandoned—we should not allow him to wallow in darkness,” Ganduje said metaphorically.
Ganduje’s comments signal a softening of stance towards his longtime political rival and successor in Kano politics.
The two men were once close allies in the ruling APC before a bitter falling-out that saw Kwankwaso lead a factional movement into the NNPP ahead of the 2023 general elections.
However, the idea of welcoming Kwankwaso into the APC has sparked internal tension, particularly among Kano-based party stakeholders.
Minister of State Yusuf Ata, who accompanied Ganduje to the meeting, issued a sharp rebuke against any plans to reintegrate Kwankwaso into the party, warning that such a move could provoke significant unrest within the Kano APC.
“Kwankwaso is no longer relevant in Kano. He is only coming to APC—not that we invited him—because he is going to die politically, That may bring a lot of crisis in the APC in Kano State. This is our position,” Ata said.
He pointed to what he called Kwankwaso’s waning influence in Kano, symbolized by the disappearance of his signature red cap among the public.
“Before now, if you visited the mosque you would see many red caps, but today, even among 5,000 worshippers, you won’t see 20.”
Ata, who served in the Kano State House of Assembly when Kwankwaso was governor in 1999, said his opposition to the former governor’s potential return was both political and personal.
“Unless the National Chairman, as a leader, says we should accommodate him, Kwankwaso stands rejected,” he added.
2027: Nigerians, not APC will decide if Tinubu deserves 2nd term - Atiku
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar emphasised that only the Nigerian people can choose their president in 2027, responding to claims of Tinubu’s guaranteed second term.
The former Vice President emphasised that the decision on re-election belongs solely to the electorate, not political elites.
