By Mamuda Sale Dakata
It is quite understandable that perceived or real threat to one’s interest, especially politically related could profoundly craved for any opportunity to act in defence, however that should not be blindly and deceitfully. The defensive measure should not be in the form of uncouth sophistry, or playing game of cheap semantics, that would border on brazen distortion of facts. Moreover, it should not be by downplaying the honest spirit behind an action or just utter mischief to destroy someone who means well, by saying what he had said or done circumstantially, to clear air over some crucial issues raised by the ever probing ubiquitous pressmen.
It is true that the recently relieved Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, had granted interview to an International Hausa electronic Medium, (BBC HAUSA) in which he accepted his removal in good faith, as what Allah Had ordained. In the same humble spirit, he made humble observation that, His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ahmad Bola Tinubu, would have been advised to pick someone with indisputable strong political value, administrative, and other political credentials, like the immediate former Kano State Deputy Governor, and APC’s State Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2023 election as his replacement. This is bearing in mind the numerous political returns of doing so would bring to the table for the APC at both state and the federal levels.
Secondly, the former Minister of State has not by any interpretation of his suggestion called for the removal of the already mentioned replacement, Rt Honourable Yusuf Abdullahi Atta, to pave way for H. E. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, to come into the reconstituted Cabinet.
The Minister only argued Gawuna would have been more qualified for the position, considering the better role he could play in preparation for the challenging 2027 presidential election.
In short, the Minister was saying, had he been involved in the replacement process, he would have argued in favour of a more popular candidate across the State, like Gawuna. This is because of his political reach out with an established structures in 484 political wards. This is in addition to the political sympathy he enjoys in the state as a result of his glaring political maturity before and after the Supreme Court’s ruling on the 2023 Kano state governorship election.
Every politically conscious mind can approve that the immediate past deputy governor, doubling as Governorship Candidate epitomizes political value, spread of influence and general political appeal across the board. Thus, more likely to fetch more winning votes in Kano State for President Tinubu come 2027 than the announced replacement nominee.
Again, while the former Minister’s reasoning cannot be faulted in letter and spirit, due to its rich attendant wisdom, which is not about himself be retained, the weight of it could sound uncomfortable to the so-called ‘Renewed Hope Ambassadors Forum (RHAF)’, whose members might only be seeing the named replacement as a gold mine to exploit selfishly during his tenure. This to them is notwithstanding the implication of the clear lack of electoral capacity to deliver the State to the President, when the chips are down in the crucial 2027 general elections.
Besides, almost every indigene of Kano State had expected Gawuna, not Atta, to be a Minister in Tinubu’s Cabinet.
At least, the appointment would have been a well-deserved, to compensate, or console him, after the interminable struggle, trauma, enormous financial commitment, as well as physical, mental and spiritual rigours he went through, during the 2023 Presidential and Gubernatorial elections, specially.
In fact, Gawuna was expe… to have, from day one of Tinubu’s tenure, been made a senior or substantive Minister. People are still wondering why that’s not the case. The recent failure by Tinubu to name him as T. Gwarzo’s replacement, which would have offended no part of the State, makes the situation more curious and worrisome. Now, the former Minister Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo has spoken the minds of the citizenry for the good of the President and the Party. Some people with no scruples are trying to misrepresent his views for selfish and sycophantic reasons.
Again, Abdullahi T. Gwarzo’s body language obviously only suggests that he would have preferred Gawuna to himself, even when he was appointed in 2023.
This is no more a matter of both informed reverence and suitability of Gawuna, promising a more secure political future for the President, APC, and Kano State.
It remains absurd that someone eyeing the number one seat in Kano is alleged to also be more in support of Atta than Gawuna for the Ministerial position in question. We hope the allegation is untrue.
May we finally advise President Tinubu to always be more critical about such sensitive issues emanating from or affecting the volatile and delicate Kano politics, even if for his own sake.
Those on a didactic mission to gladden hearts of the unwary, but dampen spirit of those APC Chieftains in Kano, are either clueless or sheer mischief makers, against the President and the Party, missing everything but prospects to make fortunes where everyone loses.
Those trying, desperately, to sow seeds of discord between the President Tinubu and Minister Abdullahi T. Gwarzo, should be watched and handled with utmost caution, lest their machinations rock the now serene boat, cruising the two bosom political mates, to their Party’s destination of great sanctuary.
There is that proverb which says “a stitch in time saves nine”.
Mamuda writes from Kano and can be reach at [email protected]
