Ganduje makes first visit to Kano since leaving office

From Ahmad Datti

Former Governor of Kano State and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has returned to the state for the first time since leaving office in May 2023.

His party lost the governorship election to New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf.

APC’s governorship candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and Ganduje’s former deputy, was defeated by Yusuf, an anointed candidate of the NNPP national leader and its 2023 Presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Usman Alhaji, the then secretary to Kano state government under Ganduje, handed over to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf during his inauguration on May 29 as Ganduje was at Eagle Square in Abuja to witness the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu.

One of the aides of the APC national chairman, who preferred not to be mentioned, confirmed that Ganduje had arrived Kano ahead of the meeting to reconcile aggrieved party members following the supreme Court verdict which reversed the declaration of Gawuna as validly elected governor of Kano by the lower courts.

The aide confirmed that all key APC stakeholders, including the deputy governorship candidate, Murtala Sule Garo, accompanied Ganduje to the state.

He said only Gawuna would not be attending the meeting because he was away in Saudi Arabia.

He said Ganduje would remain in Kano till Friday when he was expected to return to Abuja.

Thursday’s meeting is prelude to reconciliation efforts between Ganduje and Kwankwaso brokered by Tinubu.