The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has hinted that the ruling party is considering absorbing former Kano governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in a bid to rescue his dwindling political career.
Ganduje disclosed this on Tuesday after a private meeting with Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, at the APC national headquarters in Abuja.
According to Ganduje, extending a hand to Kwankwaso, who he claimed has been deserted by his supporters, is the right thing to do. “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 that is what is happening. I will not say we are not ready to welcome him,” he said.
“When you see your son running to where he would get shelter and you are a big brother in a big home, I think it is morally right to accommodate him.“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.”
However, Ata took a different stance, warning that bringing Kwankwaso into the APC fold could unsettle the party in Kano. “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. I am assuring you and even Mr President has all his security records from the grassroots in Kano,” Ata told journalists.
“He is no more attractive. So, he is struggling to be accommodated in the APC. That may bring a lot of crises in the APC in Kano State. This is our position.”
READ MORE: APC, National Assembly Working To Enable Diaspora Nigerians Vote — Ganduje
He pointed out that Kwankwaso’s influence in Kano has faded dramatically. “Anybody who visits Kano State even today will see that there are a lot of changes. It is hard for you to find red caps in Kano. Before now, if you visit the mosque you will see many red caps, but today you can visit a mosque and if 5,000 people come for prayers, you cannot see 20 red caps in Kano.” “So we are assuring the President that we are not asking for anything less. We are strongly behind our National Chairman. We have been discussing with him. This is the opinion of all the Kano State APC, even at the grassroots.
“Unless the National Chairman, who is the leader of the party in Kano, takes a decision to accept him, Kwankwaso stands rejected.” When questioned on why he would oppose Kwankwaso’s entry into APC, Ata said: “Personally, I won’t be happy. Unless it is a decision from our father (Ganduje) to accommodate him. I was in the House of Assembly in 1999 when Kwankwaso was the governor. So I know Kwankwaso very well.
“He is no more attractive in Kano. We have no deal unless the National Chairman, as a leader, says we should accommodate him. No problem.”
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
