Former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has reacted to comments attributed to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, saying that Kwankwaso was once his political protégé.
Ganduje, in a statement issued from Saudi Arabia by his chief of staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba, where the former governor is performing the Hajj, said the allegation was false.
According to the statement, Ganduje said politics is based on relationships, support and mentorship adding that every successful politician receives assistance from others at some point in their career.
He said he played a key role in Kwankwaso’s early political rise, particularly during his election into the House of Representatives and his emergence as Deputy Speaker.
The statement quoted him as saying: “I also have the right to say that Kwankwaso was once my political boy because I supported him and helped him rise to important positions.
Ganduje said that before that period, when he was working both in Abuja and Kano, Kwankwaso often visited his offices to discuss politics.
The former governor also called on politicians to stop using labels like “godfather” and “political son”, adding that the focus should be on the quality of leadership and development of the people.
He also remembered the 1998 political developments in Kano where he won the governorship primary at the time but stepped down in the interest of unity and agreed to serve as Kwankwaso’s deputy.
“The statement said that even though they later had political disagreements, Ganduje and Kwankwaso worked together for the development of Kano State between 1999 and 2003, and again between 2011 and 2015.
Ganduje said though Yusuf once served under him, he is now the elected governor of Kano and deserves respect by the virtue of the office he occupies.
Ganduje appealed to politicians and their supporters in Kano to desist from making utterances that would deepen division, and called for peace and unity in the state.
