A prominent politician and ally of NNPP National Leader Buba Galadima said the late President Muhammadu Buhari made sure that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s victory at the polls during the 2023 general election was affirmed and announced by INEC.

Buba Galadima stated this in an interview with Arise Television.

Buba said the late President was bitter when, prior to the general election, former Governor of Kano State Abdullahi Umar Ganduje addressed the late President as Habu Na Habu, meaning a drunkard who goes naked on the streets.

Buba Galadima was reacting to the recent defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the APC from the NNPP, a brainchild of former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Buba Galadima said Almighty Allah is on their side and He gives power to whom He wishes, and Abba became the Governor.

He said at the Tribunal they were given victory, but the judgment was changed in Abuja and they appealed. He said the judges were intimidated and they declared Gawuna.

According to him, when they took the case to the Supreme Court, three judges said they did not want a bloodbath in Kano, and on January 12, 2024, they reaffirmed Abba Kabir Yusuf as Governor of the state.

Buba Galadima was reacting to the recent defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the All Progressive Congress where Former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is the party leader in Kano

Presidential hopeful of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Gbenga Hashim, has condemned what he described as a deliberate attempt by aides of President Bola Tinubu to fracture Nigeria along regional and ethnic lines, warning that such rhetoric amounts to a betrayal of the Nigerian nation.

Hashim said the renewed push for a North–South dichotomy by elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is a desperate political diversion, aimed at shielding the Tinubu administration from scrutiny over worsening economic and governance outcomes.

Reacting to a statement attributed to the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Hashim described the strategy as “pedestrian, reckless, and fundamentally undermines Nigeria’s National Security interest”

“Dividing Nigeria along regional lines in order to escape accountability for governance failure is shameful and dangerous. It is a direct betrayal of the oath to defend the unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Hashim said.

Addressing the build up to the 2027 general elections, the PDP chieftain dismissed arguments centered on rotational presidency, insisting that Nigerians are no longer interested in symbolic power-sharing formulas.

“Nigerians are not asking for a Northern or Southern president. They are asking for a competent president, one who can revive the economy, secure lives and property, and unite the country around a shared future, of Prosperity ” he stated.

Hashim reminded the APC that both regions have had substantial opportunities to govern Nigeria since 1999, noting that the South has produced presidents for approximately 17 years, while the North has governed for about 10 years within the same democratic period.

“Leadership failure cannot be blamed on geography. Both regions have governed. What matters now is performance, not origin,” he said.

He warned that resurrecting ethnic narratives at a time of deep economic distress, rising insecurity, and social fragmentation only exposes the ruling party’s lack of credible solutions.

“Using ethnicity and region to mask incompetence is not only lazy politics, it is a direct insult to Nigerians who are struggling to survive,” Hashim added.

Calling on citizens across the country to reject divisive politics, Hashim stressed that the APC would not be able to hide behind regional sentiment in the next election cycle.

“Come 2027, Nigerians will vote for leadership, not tribal loyalty. The era of emotional blackmail is over,” he concluded.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has extended an olive branch to his longtime political rival, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday, Ganduje expressed a desire to mend fences and reunite for the progress of Kano State.

“I am hopeful that very soon we will reconcile with Kwankwaso so we can move forward together. We have shared a political camp in the past and remain brothers,” Ganduje stated.

Emphasizing a departure from past rivalries, he noted that current political realignments in Kano have ushered in a new era of cooperation focused on governance rather than conflict.

“With the present realignment, the politics of rivalry in Kano may be over. Our priority now is delivering good governance to our people,” Ganduje explained. “If Governor Abba Yusuf succeeds, we all succeed—and if we succeed, he also succeeds. It is vital for all of us to understand this so that the government can thrive.”

Ganduje, drawing from his experience as former APC National Chairman, added that his tenure provided him with deep insight into party operations and conflict resolution mechanisms.

When questioned on whether Governor Abba Yusuf would receive an automatic ticket in future elections, Ganduje acknowledged party conventions while underscoring adherence to established rules.

“I am familiar with the party’s workings. There are rules and there are traditions. The tradition grants a sitting governor the right of first refusal, though this principle does not extend to other positions,” he clarified.

NIGERIAN TRACKER reports that former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was anointed by his predecessor and long time political associate Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso during the 2015 general elections after which the duo fell out in March 2016 due to some differences that suddenly emerge less than a year into the tenure of Dr Ganduje as Governor of Kano state.