Rejoinder: Why Hon. Abba Kabir Yusif should become running mate to DR. ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE, Kano State APC Gubernatorial candidate We read with utmost shock, surprise and bewilderment an advertorial titled, “Why Honourable Abba Kabir Yusif must become a running mate to Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, APC Gubernatorial candidate of Kano State”, written by one Eng. Ado Muhammad Yakasai, published on page 42 of Tuesday, December 23, 2014 edition of the Daily Trust newspaper. Ordinarily, we wont bother to respond to such write ups but for the timing, and wanton distortion of facts, fabrication and outright attempt to change the course of history through tissues of lies as embedded in the advertorial by the said author. Just as the said author wrote, we too, like all other party loyalists and supporters in Kano have been waiting anxiously for the announcement of the name of running mate to Dr. Ganduje after agreements were reached with him and the party leaders before the primaries which informed the decision of our leader Hon. Suleiman Abdurahman Kawu Sumaila OFR, to withdraw from the race few hours to the election. Both our leaders Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Ganduje had consented to the ceding of the running mate slot to Kawu in the various discussions that preceded the primaries. While we wont mention names of the senior citizens of the Federal Republic, national and state leaders of the APC who were all involved in the negotiations, it is a known fact among all party faithful that no less than state governors, national leaders, and elder-statesmen alike were part of the process. Inspite of the fact that the selection of a running is the sole responsibility of the candidate and other party stakeholders, but we must take into cognisance political advantage of the running mate who must be able to mobilise vote and stabilise the polity. We should however, say here that no one can forced himself on the governorship candidate to be taken as a running. More over, it is not a do-or-die affair It was as a result of the intervention of major APC stakehoders in the state and at the national levels that Kawu was advised to step down for Ganduje on the day of the election which he did as a loyal party member and one who put collective interest in first position before personal interest For Kawu, as a loyal, humble, listening and obedient party member, he agreed to step down for Ganduje, sacrificing his personal ambition which he has worked hard to realize in the last three years or more. This, Kawu did even at a great personal loss by putting the collective interest of the APC and Kano people first. The author raised several issues which touched on the very foundation of our existence as a political party and as a people which must not be allowed to be pushed down the throat of our innocent and hapless party loyalists, followers and even stakeholders. Everyone one of us know that Hon. Abba Kabir Yusif is the current commissioner for works of Kano state and is the son in-law of our governor Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as he is married to the Governors daughter and enjoys great support and encouragement from Kwankwaso. Engineer Yakasai if at all he exists, advanced four reasons which according to the figment of his imagination Hon. Yusif must be giving the running mate slot for the APC in Kano which we will espoused below: 1. COMMITMENT AND TRUSTHINESS: The author said Yusif must be made the running mate of Ganduje because he is committed to the government and the party and that he is humble and friend of the less privilege. We will like to say that in the present dispensation and political arrangement, Kawu remained one of the most committed politician whose loyalty to APC and Kano is not in doubt. Kawu is always championing the course of Kano and Nigeria in the House of Representatives since 2003. This was rewarded by the good people of Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency who elected him overwhelmingly for three consecutive tenure, and for eight years now, Kawu was given mandate as a principal officer in the Green chamber of the House, which is a rare opportunity. In the green chambers of the House of Representatives, Kawu has continued to contribute towards the deepening of democracy in the National Assembly through sponsorship of several motions of national importance and Bills that are people oriented especially on electoral reforms. Kawu, has at various fora defended the interests of Kano people and Nigeria at large. Worth mentioning here is his role in the death of the infamous third term or tenure elongation attempt of former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006. Kawu was the first person to advertise the APC as a progressive political party in Kano. He ensured that it spread to all parts of the state. Which Commitment and trustworthiness could be greater than this? 2. SACRIFICE LOYALTY: As mentioned earlier, Kawu shelved his personal ambition of becoming Kano state governor when he stepped down for Ganduje on election day. This is inspite of the fact that he has established one of the most sophisticated and advanced political structure cutting across the 484 wards, 44 local governments across the state for over three years. Kawu also refused to leave the APC for the PDP in the wake of defection of former Governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and his followers despite being wooed by the PDP leadership at both state and national levels. But for Hon. Yusif, he was never an aspirant for the Kano Central Senatorial District until one two weeks to the primaries. He didnt campaign let alone spend his money for the APC but Kawu on the other hand agreed to step down for the sake of APC unity and the larger interest of Kano and its good people. 3. NEED FOR COMPENSATION: Kawu is visible in all nooks and crannies of Kano state and his influence is noticed among the Talakawas. You cant dodge Kawu if you come to Kano or even passes by. Kawu is a member of APC central merger committee which succeeded in bringing APC to life today. He is also a member of Board of Trustees, member of the APC National Caucus and of course member of the National Executive Committee. Worth mentioning here is that he was also a member of the national convention committee which produced the current crop of leadership of the party. He was the first to commenced funding of the APC in Kano as a leading member of the legacy parties that merged into the APC-All Nigeria Peoples Party. Who then should be compensated other than Kawu? 4. POWER SHARING: The said author also tried to distort facts by raising the issue of power sharing as a basis for Hon. Yusif to be Gandujes running mate. This is very dishonourable and unfortunate because even though we dont talk about it, in Kano everyone knows that Kano South, where Kawu comes from is the most marginalised zone since 1999. Kano South has 16 out of the 44 Local Government Areas of the State and is the second most populated senatorial district in the state. Under the present arrangement, Kano south senatorial district has no Governor, no Deputy Governor, no Speaker, no Deputy Speaker, no Secretary to the State Government, no Head of Service to mention but a few. All the other elective positions are from the Central and Northern senatorial districts. This high level of marginalization of the zone is continuing despite the very fact that the senatorial district has 15 House of Assembly members, and the only APC Senator in the upper chamber is from Kano South senatorial district, of the eight (8) House of Representatives members from the zone, only one (1) is PDP, all the rest are APC. Presently, the APC enjoys high level of support and followership in Kano south senatorial district more than any other senatorial district in the State. And moreover, the PDP which is very sensitive to these issues has now chosen its Governorship candidate from Kano South senatorial district. Why should Kawu, who hails from that zone not be made Gandujes running mate? Lest we forget, Kawu is also a member of the legacy party from the ANPP bloc and justice means that he be given the running mate slot so as to compensate the members of the legacy parties in the APC since the Kwankwasiyya bloc now has the governorship and all other elective positions in the APC. Why should anyone in their right senses begin to think that the legacy parties can be schemed out of the present equation? We also will like to caution those who are sponsoring those kind of advertorial by Yakasai to desist from it as Kano people will not be fooled since they all know what transpired before, during and after the primaries as regards to who will be Gandujes running mate and to do otherwise will amount to outright betrayal, dishonest an ungodly act. God forbid. Ganduje himself had on the day of the primaries and shortly after the agreement was reached with Kawu to step down and take the running mate slot, on December 4th, 2014, admitted and acknowledged it via his Twitted handle @GovUmarGanduje thus: “Perfect matching Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje OFR with Honorable Kawu Sumaila OFR”. We should as a people, search our conscience and strive to do the right thing at this critical time of our history. But if we fail to leave by our words and fulfill political promises we made voluntarily and agreements we entered into on our own volition, Allah (SWT) will judge us, Kano people will judge us, our consciences will judge us, and history will also judge us. Signed: KANO CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT Hon. GARBA MOHAMMED BUTALAWA Former member of House of Representatives Kura/Garum Malam/Madobi Federal Constituency COMRADE ALI YANTANDU Former Chairman Dala Local Government Area Kano North Zone HON. BALA YAU BAYCO Former member, House of Representatives KANO NORTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT Hon. BELLO BAWA DANZABUWA Former Chairman Bichi Local Government Area Hon. SAIDU GARBA ZUGACHI Former Member Kano State House of Assembly Gabasawa State Constituency HON. MUHTARI USMAN DAMBATTA Former Permanent Secretary, Kano State KANO SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT TIJJANI MOHAMMED TUDUN WADA Assistant APC Secretary Tudun Wada Local Government Area MALLAM GARBA FATE WUDIL APC, Wudil local government Area ALHAJI ABDALLAH. ABBA SUMAILA APC Elder
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 17:24:41 +0000
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