Kano NNPP at crossroads over alleged Yusuf-Kwankwaso feud

Despite denials, the battle to whittle down influence of the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Governor Abba Yusuf-led administration is unsettling the party and the government. There are fears of possible implosion, which may make the ongoing crisis in Rivers a child’s play in comparison, ADAMU ABUH and MURTALA ADEWALE report.

Unless good counsel prevails, the conflict between supporters of the Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf-led New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) administration and his godfather, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, may soon boil over.

Indeed, members of the cabinet and party executive members have been sharply divided over the conflict, which revolves around control of the governance structure of the state.

While the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Abdullahi Baffa Bichi and key members of the National Assembly are leading the battle to “free” the governor from the alleged excessive control of his godfather, the state Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdu Salam Gwarzo, the Jibrin Falgore-led State Assembly members and some top government functionaries have been pledging their loyalty to Kwankwaso.

Yusuf, who has been caught in the middle of the contending groups, has been temporarily forced to beat a retreat and preferred to watch from the sideline. He has also refused to be enlisted into the battle that could disentangle himself from his benefactor.

But his SSG, Bichi, has never hidden his disdain for the leadership style of Kwankwaso and is insisting that the time is ripe for Yusuf to be a man of his own and stop running to Kwankwaso on a daily basis to take instructions on the governance of the state.

Kwankwaso, a two-term governor in the state and presidential candidate of the NNPP in the 2023 poll single-handedly picked Yusuf. When he brought Yusuf into the race for the governorship of the state, there was the notion that being his in-law, the governor will withstand the allure to thread along the path of flexing muscles with his godfather and predecessor.

While those within the circle of Kwankwaso are pleased with the ‘yes man’ disposition of Yusuf within the last one and half years, hardliners like Senator Kawu Sumaila, House of Representatives members, Ali Madaki Gini, Alhassan Rurum have come up with the Hausa slogan, “Abba Tsaya Da Karfarka”, which means, “Stand on your feet” and take control of the affairs of governance of the state.

Proponents of Abba Tsaya Da Kafarka argue that the newfound resentment should not be seen as a surprising development as they feel Kwankwaso’s alleged overbearing influence on governance in Kano must not be sustained.

The anti-Kwankwaso are allegedly working in cahoots with top members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kano State based in Abuja and are fingered for fanning the embers of discord within the NNPP.

Trouble started in March this year when Kwankwaso was said to have appointed the entire 44 caretaker local council chairmen without the input of Governor Yusuf who in return distanced himself from the running of the local government areas in protest.

The governor had in September attempted to control the running of the local governments but failed as the Kano State House of Assembly, allegedly at the behest of Kwankwaso not only rejected his attempt to sack the caretaker council chairmen, but went ahead to approve a two-month extension to them.

Prior to this development, the governor had been forced to contend with Kwankwaso on Commissioners, Political Advisers and several other appointees of his government as he (Kwankwaso) was alleged to have wanted to bear strong influence on them.

The current development is fuelling fears of a possible alliance with the Umar Ganduje-led APC in Abuja to invoke the recent Federal High Court order to push for the freezing of the statutory allocation to the local government areas of the state.

Meanwhile, NNPP leadership in Kano had suspended the SSG, Bichi and the State Commissioner for Transport, Mohammed Diggol for allegedly funding rebellion against Kwankwaso, even after dissociating himself from the Abba Tsaye da Kafarka campaigners.

The former Bayero University Kano (BUK) Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) activist admitted knowing those fueling the campaign against Kwankwaso’s interference, but denied funding them.

“It is true that members of the new group are my boys, and I’m aware of the campaign, but I don’t have anything to do with what they are doing and it is not true that I’m behind it. I have declared my total loyalty to Governor Yusuf and that loyalty will not shake,” SSG said recently.

Kano State chairman of the NNPP, Hashimu Dungurawa, who is believed to be acting at the behest of Kwankwaso, announced their suspension from the party. He accused them of insubordination and disloyalty to what he termed “constituted authority.”

However, Kwankwaso declined to speak on the development when accosted at his Miller Road mansion, but simply said, “Don’t drag me into this matter because I don’t want to say anything on the matter. What do you want me to say after all, the party chairman has spoken? Don’t let me say what I am not supposed to say on this issue please.”

The penultimate week, both Alhassan Rurum and Aliyu Madakin-Gini, openly renounced their membership of the Kwankwasiyya movement and pitched their tents with Governor Yusuf.

The lawmakers explained that they decided to part ways with the Kwankwasiyya Movement because of their dissatisfaction with the leadership style of Kwankwaso.

He said: “From today, I Aliyu Sani Madakin, no longer associate with the Kwankwasiyya Movement. They have dismissed us, saying we lack support, but we are not afraid to stand alone. Let it be known there is no one I cannot confront in the Kwankwasiyya Movement from top to bottom, if need be. This movement, if it is akin to a religion, we have paid our dues. But they say we are not useful, that we don’t have support.”

Alhassan Rurum, who addressed his loyalists in Kano, pledged his loyalty to the Dr Boniface Aniebonam-led faction of NNPP and allegiance to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Rurum, maintained that he aligned himself with the recently formed movement to reduce the overbearing influence of Kwankwaso on the government, calling on Governor Yusuf to stand firm on the mantle of governance, devoid of interference from his godfather.

Reacting to the movement against Kwankwaso, the party chairman, Dungurawa told The Guardian that the two lawmakers should have equally relinquished their seats at the National Assembly to justify their interest.

Dungurawa, who described the federal lawmakers as “betrayals of the movement that brought them to the political limelight”, told the two lawmakers to expect their downfall.

“The two lawmakers are shameless because what is coming out of their mouth is shameful. These are people who were nowhere to be found without Kwankwasiyya, they stooped low and bowed to red cap, identified themselves 100 per cent with Kwankwasiyya before they were elected. Today if they come out to reject Kwankwasiyya, they should be ashamed of themselves.

“I think for the equation to be balanced, I challenge them to relieve themselves from their political seats given to them by Kwankwasiyya to truly test their strength. But when you are still occupying a seat given by Kwankwasiyya and you are still fighting the same Kwankwasiyya, it means you are shameless. And people of their category usually don’t end well,” he said.

Yusuf, however, stated that there is no iota of truth on the issue of a misunderstanding between him and his godfather, Kwankwaso, even as he described it as the height of insult on his personality, the campaign linking him with Abba Tsaya da KafarKa.

Yusuf said he had initially taken the entire drama and those staging the “play” for granted until the matter was escalated by reports that he was no longer picking calls from Kwankwaso.

Yusuf, who said his strong relationship with Kwankwaso had lasted over 40 years, wondered the derivable gain those plotting to scuttle his ties with Kwankwaso stand to benefit.

He said, “I have been with Kwankwaso for the last 40 years. We were together in the civil service. I retired after he retired from government work. I returned to politics with him. We were together in and out of government. In all these periods I never fought with him. Is it now that I became governor that I will now think of fighting with Kwankwaso?” he asked.

“I am the governor of Kano State by the grace of God. But I must not forget the person that God used to enable me to sit here as governor. Whether I will remain on this seat or not, it is only Allah that knows. It is the people of Kano that will also decide who becomes the next governor.

“For me, I will not be an ingrate in my life and I will never betray the trust bestowed on me. Let me also say that a group calling for Abba Tsaya da KofarKa, is the greatest insult I have ever received in my life. I don’t know what they mean but if the people actually love me, they should henceforth stop this campaign,” Governor Yusuf said.