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Governor Ganduje’s many crisis-Dakata

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By Dr Nura Musa Dakata

The Kano State’s Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is unarguably one of the Governors with highest number of executed projects among the Governors that came into power in 2015 in Nigeria. Most of the projects he initiated are either completed or at advanced stage. He equally completed some of the projects he inherited from his predecessors. He has been consistent in the payment of salaries and wages to the civil servants when many states owe. He has not so far retrench any staff within the years he has been in power.

Despite these achievements, I believe he is the most defied and ostracized Governor in Nigeria. Why is it so? Before itemizing the major reasons for the hatred, I could remember during his campaign in 2015 a lady colleague told me that she dislike the personality of the APC candidate. She promised not to vote for the party. I encouraged her to disregard any other consideration and vote for him. The most important factor is character and ability to perform assuring her that he was the best candidate. Now I begin to wonder whether that woman was correct in her assessment.

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Since assuming power on May 29th 2015, the Governor has been enmesh in one avoidable crisis or the other. Firstly, was his failure to maintain the once known cordial relationship with his former boss HE Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. It is natural in Nigerian politics though not ideal for the predecessors to attempt to exercise a little influence on their successors especially if they feel they contributed to their anointment and victory. I personally expected Governor Ganduje to bear with his former principal considering the supports he enjoyed from him in the past politically. Unfortunately, his advisers and handlers succeeded in making the duo political enemies. This contributed to the serious challenge the Governor faced at the polls in 2019. What happened afterwards is now history.

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Secondly, was the alleged Dollar stacking courtesy of my younger brother the popular Ja’afar Ja’afar. This was the most damaging among all the crisis faced by the Governor. Though, through the federal might, he succeeded in securing second tenure, the dollar saga is yet to be over. Recently, his lead political opponent Mal. Senator Ibrahim Shekarau meanderingly referred to it to ridicule the Governor. Many Nigerians await the expiration of the constitutional immunity to see what EFCC would do on the matter.

Thirdly, is the direct involvement of the Governors’ wife in the running of the Government. The wife of the Governor (and his children) are allegedly to be the brain behind major decisions and policies of the administration. The wife is said to be the decider of who gets what, when and how. She can rule and overrule. In politics, she already sided with a particular camp and anybody outside that camp is regarded as a political outcast. She is being accused of trying to single handedly impose a very unpopular and unqualified gubernatorial candidate for the APC in 2023. To achieve that objective, she and her camp allegedly masterminded the exclusion of key stakeholders from the ward, LGA and State congresses. This led to the split of the party into two. One group loyal to the Government under the leadership of Abdullahi Abbas populated mostly by those who are directly holding political offices and the direct beneficiaries of the administration’s skewed policies. The other group under the leadership of Haruna Zago backed by the former Kano State Governor and current Senator representing Kano Central Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau and gubernatorial hopeful Barau Jibrin.

All these crisis are avoidable had the Governor exemplifies leadership and learn from his predecessors typically Shekarau and Rabi’u Kwankwaso.

They too have their weaknesses, however they were able to show leadership and carried their followers along. Those qualities are unquestionably absent in Ganduje despite the advantage of age and paper qualifications. “ Sallah dai daga liman take Baci”.

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Why Nura Manu Soro should be APC candidate in Bauchi State come 2027

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Honourable Nura Manu Soro

 

 

Sani Adnan

As Planning Is Essential for a Political Campaign, Nura, if given the opportunity, will ensures that the party’s campaign activities are structured, resources are used efficiently, and every effort supports the central objective of winning voter trust and turnout.

Steps He May Take in Building a Political Campaign Plan

Professionals and other relevant stakeholders will be widely consulted where strategic views will be carefully collated and embedded in his vision, mission, and values, analyzing voter demographics needs and setting measurable campaign goals, among others.

*An Inclusive Campaign Foundation*
Nura Manu’s campaign foundation cover party core values, valuable insights, and specific objectives such as turnout targets, fundraising benchmarks, and win margins against major opposition elements.

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*Who May Serve As Key Members of His Campaign Team*
In order to guarantee and seamless victory, Nura Manu Soro has assembled array of professional politicians, technocrats with essential roles include the campaign manager, communications lead, digital strategist, field organizer, and finance director, supported by a structured volunteer network of versatile young men and women from all walks of life.

Nura Manu Soro Represent a Strong Campaign Message That’s Important At The Moment

Nura Manu Soro is sine qua non with a strong message which will naturally connects the APC candidate to voter concerns, builds credibility, and provides consistency across campaign speeches, political advertisements, and digital platforms.

Nura Manu Soro Represent The Role a Slogan (Tafiyar Matasa Sabon Jini) Play in Campaign

A slogan captures the campaign’s vision in a short, memorable phrase, supported by talking points that reinforce the message across all outreach. Persons like him with towering intellect, global exposure and academic distinction, who understand how power truly operates, will play politics which might reveals realities that libraries, laboratories and lecture halls couldn’t fully expose. ‘NMS’ as I fondly called him, is a master strategist who excelled in engineering negotiations, manoeuvres, interests, alliances and contradictions that quietly shape greater outcomes at different fora.

In conclusion, NMS will utilise social media to expands reach, engages different voter segments, and provides real-time interaction. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, among many others to target different demographics effectively.

Sani Adnan, wrote from Alkaleri in Bauchi State, Nigeria.

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Beyond the Verdict: How NNPP Loss Vindicates Governor Yusuf’s Political Foresight

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By: Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa

A defining political moment unfolded in Lagos as loyalists of NNPP founder, Boniface Aniebonam, converged at his Apapa office in celebration of a decisive court victory that has reshaped the party’s leadership structure. The ruling of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, which directed INEC to recognise the Agbo Major led National Working Committee, effectively nullified the claims of the faction aligned with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, setting the stage for what many now regard as a turning point in the NNPP’s internal power dynamics.

The celebration was not merely symbolic but deeply political. Songs, dancing and thanksgiving echoed through the venue, signaling what many within the camp see as the final collapse of the rival structure. In their view, the ruling has drawn a clear line under the prolonged leadership tussle, affirming ownership and restoring the party to its original custodians.

While the Kwankwasiyya faction has dismissed the judgment and signaled its intention to appeal, the optics of the Lagos celebration suggest a deeper reality. It portrays a movement that is steadily losing institutional footing. What was once projected as a dominant bloc within the NNPP now appears increasingly isolated and weakened by legal setbacks and internal contradictions.

Within this unfolding scenario, the earlier decision of Abba Kabir Yusuf to exit the NNPP now stands out as not just strategic but profoundly prophetic. At a time when many still believed the crisis could be contained, the governor had already read the signs of a looming structural breakdown. His defection to the All Progressives Congress was a calculated move to shield Kano from the instability that has now fully consumed the party.

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Since the entrance of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso into the NNPP in late 2022, the party has been embroiled in persistent internal wranglings. What should have been a smooth political expansion quickly degenerated into disputes, counter claims and a cycle of litigations across multiple courts. These legal battles not only fractured the party’s leadership but created an environment too volatile for any serious governance to thrive.

For a sitting government, such instability is more than a political inconvenience. It is a direct threat to focus, peace of mind and administrative efficiency. Governor Yusuf clearly understood that a state like Kano could not afford to be governed from within a party constantly entangled in courtrooms. Governance requires clarity, stability and direction, conditions that had become increasingly absent within the NNPP.

The events of today have validated that judgment. The celebrations by Aniebonam’s loyalists underscore the extent to which the party structure has shifted away from the Kwankwaso bloc. In stark terms, the former political stronghold has been reduced to a shadow of its past influence within the party.

Indeed, a harsh but unavoidable metaphor now defines the situation. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso appears politically like a wandering herdsman without shepherds, disconnected from a recognised structure and navigating an uncertain terrain without institutional backing. The court’s affirmation of a rival leadership has effectively placed him in a position where his relevance within the NNPP is severely diminished.

In practical terms, this leaves him perilously close to being politically homeless, a figure without a firmly recognised platform and with a future clouded by legal and structural dislocations. His refusal to align with Governor Yusuf in the strategic move to the APC now appears in hindsight as a significant political miscalculation, one that may carry lasting consequences for his political journey.

The contrast could not be clearer. While Kano under Abba Kabir Yusuf has secured stability within a broader national framework, the NNPP remains trapped in cycles of litigation and internal strife. The governor’s decision ensured that his administration would not be distracted by endless legal battles, thereby preserving the focus required to deliver democratic dividends to the teeming people of Kano.

In the final analysis, politics rewards those who can read the future before it arrives and act before circumstances impose their will. Power is never sustained by sentiment but by structure, clarity and timing. What is unfolding within the NNPP is a reminder that when a political house becomes divided against itself, its strongest voices can quickly fade into irrelevance. In contrast, leadership that prioritises stability over attachment secures not just survival but continuity. In this moment, the lesson is clear that history does not remember hesitation, it remembers decision.

Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, is the Spokesperson to Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State

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DSP Barau and APC Unity in Kano

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By Abba Anwar

Democracy, in my candid opinion, is not only a game of numbers, as numbers could be falsified, twisted, deliberately avoided and deceiving, it is also a process of fair arrangement, fence-mending, thinking-ahead, conceding overturned events and strategy jogging, all within a sane and stable environment.

To push my take, closer to readers’ comprehension, let me, first and foremost, acknowledge the genuine involvement of His Excellency, the Deputy Senate President, Barau I Jibrin, CFR, immediately when the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, joined All Progressives Congress (APC).

His contributions and commitment to the new union, new normal, as some may put it, explain his intent for building stronger, more peaceful, ambitious and strategic political platform devoid of crisis and cluelessness ahead of 2027 election period. The deeper commitment is manifested in almost all his recent visibility in the affairs of the party.

It was he, to the chagrin of all, who announced, publicly, that he jettisoned his long held ambition, of becoming number one citizen in the state. That happened during the welcome celebration of the Governor, to APC fold. There and then, he endorsed and called for genuine support, of Governor Yusuf ahead of 2027. Senator’s endorsement, was, in my understanding, out of volition and deep sense of responsibility.

After his unexpected withdrawal from the race, the former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON, made similar pronouncement on behalf of all those contesting for gubernatorial seat in the state. Assuring Governor Yusuf that, all those contesting for the exalted seat, had also withdrawn.

I think after commending Ganduje for that, we should profoundly appreciate and thumb-up for the aspirants. His Excellency Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and His Excellency Murtala Sule Garo. The duo also exhibited decorum and absolute loyalty in the scheme of things. No doubt about this. So also would-be-aspirants, remained low-key and enduring. As low-key as they were, no one could accurately spot individuals here.

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My personal conviction, tells me that, APC heavyweights, did that, just to properly and unarguably, present the party, APC, to the Governor, as a comfort zone. Where his ambition for second tenure could well be secured seamlessly.

As a matter of fact, APC tries hard to make the Governor feel comfortable for the development of the state. Which is at stake. Hence the debut of the slogan “Kano First.”

Looking at the wards and local governments congresses, that took place recently, one can, but, believe with me, when I appreciate that Governor Yusuf is reciprocating well. Just look at how the government handles process, procedures and outcomes. Even the sharing formula of party’s executives, between the Governor and old APC members. Yes, the Governor is moving at his own pace, but to me, the situation is neither disturbing nor alarming. Each leader has his own way of discharging responsibilities.

All cards are now on the table. As the ball is in the court of the Governor. His understanding of the political arithmetic, as he merges with APC, is paramount and part of the necessary prerequisite for victory, in the face of all. Supporters, non-supporters and so-called neutral entities.

While DSP, alongside other critical stakeholders cooperate with the Governor for injecting life to good governance, it is not out of place, to also mention that, the DSP is becoming the engine room for unity in the party.

All his actions that followed the golden pronouncement, signify honest and genuine support for the status-quo. Few days before the formal pronouncement, it was he, who empowered and reinforced local governments officials in 13 local governments under his constituency, Kano North, with means of transport. Mobility worth commendation.

He gave a similar gesture to party leaders at all levels, long before now. Particularly in his constituency. But that was not limited to Kano North alone. His magnanimous intervention to party leaders, even at that time, across the state, was everything to write home about.

It is indeed dignifying to note that, Distinguished Senator knows clearly that, as it is democratic to support any idea, process and democratic styles, but within the confines of dignity, respect, law and order, it is also democratic to oppose any action or inaction, but within the confines of the identified situations.

The many politicians I spoke with, from Governor Yusuf’s side, on how the Deputy Senate President plays his cards, they passed an impressive judgment on him. They all acknowledged and appreciated his genuine commitment to the cause and his open-minded approach to the progress of the party and the government in the state.

I understand one good thing about him, I mean, out of many good things, he believes, Governor’s survival and victory, is APC’s. Adieu DSP, Adieu!

Anwar writes from Kano
Tuesday, 24th February, 2026

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