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Kano 2023: Will Gawuna make an easy sail?
By Nigerian Tracker
When Kano state governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje won his victory at the supreme court on January 20, 2020, attention has focused on who will succeed the governor by the time he completed his second term on May 29 2023.
The governor faced a serious battle as he geared towards clinching victory during the 2019 general elections, the March 9 gubernatorial elections in Kano generated controversy as the electoral umpire refused to declare a substantive winner till a rerun was conducted on March 23 2019.
But before then, the political atmosphere was seriously charged in Kano which is regarded as the hotbed of Nigerian politics ,the frosty relationship between governor Ganduje and his erstwhile Deputy Professor Hafiz Abubakar which made the latter resigned his position as Deputy Governor of the state on 4thAugust 2014.
Hafiz Abubakar’s resignation on August 4 2018, made the second most powerful stool vacant in Kano, and the choice of Professor Hafizu’s successor later fell on a former Kano state commissioner of Agriculture Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
Gawuna’s choice by governor Ganduje was seen as a way to gain popularity towards general election , now the attention has shifted to who succeed Governor Ganduje in 2023.
Political observers are of the opinion that Gawuna, the deputy governor must have an interest in contesting the number one seat in Kano, his Boss governor Abdullahi Ganduje has been dreaming to become the governor of the state since 1999 and realized that ambition in 2015.
But the present APC arrangement in Kano is a merger of many political bigwigs , Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s school of political thought to who back the government to come back to power for the second time.
Another thing that may propel the deputy governor to contest the 2019 general elections was his wealthy experience in politics from his time as chairman of the cosmopolitan Nassarawa local government to his days as Kano state commissioner of Agriculture.
But in Kano only one deputy governor has it well with his boss when it comes to cordial relationship.
On return to civil rule ,Late Governor Muhammad Abubakar Rimi does not have an easy relationship with his deputy the Late Alhaji Farouk Bibi Farouk, the second republic state House of assembly have to impeach Bibi Farouk and late Alhaji Abdu Dawakin Tofa was appointed who subsequently becomes the governor after the resignation of Late Governor Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi.
For the aborted third republic, the relationship between governor Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya and his late Deputy Alhaji Ahmad Usman will not be understood because the republic was overthrown by General Sani Abacha after a short stint.
When Nigeria return to civilian rule on May 29 1999 , Kano state governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his deputy Abdullahi Umar Ganduje had a smooth relationship up to the time they were defeated by Malam Ibrahim Shekarau in the 2003 general elections.
But when Malam emerged as Governor in 2003, speculations went round that he doesn’t have a cordial relationship with his deputy late Engineer Magaji Abdullahi.
When Malam Ibrahim Shekarau was seeking for second term in the year 2007 he was challenged by his late deputy Late Engineer Magaji Abdullahi, the sour relationship between the two political giants did not end well as Malam Ibrahim Shekarau picked another Deputy in person of Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo.
When Malam Ibrahim Shekarau finished his tenure in 2011 ,his deputy Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo left the party that brought them to power and cross carpet to ACN ,Malam Shekarau’s anointed candidate Malam Salihu Sageer Takai was not able to make it at the polls as he was defeated by the duo of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In the history of Kano state politics only Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso anointed his Deputy to succeed him during the 2015 general elections and they fell apart after Ganduje became Governor.
What will be the fate of Deputy Governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna on the eve of 2023 general elections?
Many political bigwigs will be hoping to succeed Ganduje within the APC apart from the challenge they may face from the opposition PDP.
These days political discussion have mellowed down in the state because politicians have today focused their attention of how to contain corona pandemic.