Kano 2019: Kwankwaso, Shekarau unite to unseat Ganduje

By SUNDAY ODIBASHI

The battle for the soul; of Kano State prelude to the  2019 general elections has precipitated the union of two erstwhile arch rivals in the politics of the state –  former governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Ibrahim Shekarau, the two former Kano Governors  met in Abuja on Saturday to work out knew template for the forthcoming elections in the state.

National Daily gathered that the two former governors have deepened negotiations to sponsor joint governorship candidate to unseat Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on 2019. Reliable sources revealed to National Dailythat in the ongoing negotiations, Kwankwaso may present the governorship candidate while Shekarau may present the deputy governorship candidate for 23019 in Kano. Both former governors are mobilizing good population of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters across Kano State who were said to have made strong positive responses.

Besides, the declaration of war against Kwankwaso by Ganduje, Kano peoples were said to have developed disenchantment towards the governor who they said has failed to deliver on governance but spent all his time fighting his political principal because of the re0election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Kwankwaso and Shekarau negotiations and horse trading were said to have begun to reconfigure the political equation of the state.

The two former governors held their Saturday meeting at the residence of Shekarau in Asokoro, Abuja. It was gathered that the Saturday parley was preliminary meeting leading to broader meeting with other political leaders in Kano State.

The union of the two former governors of Kano is bizarre to many stakeholders in Kano after years of political marksmanship in the state.

Shekarau, on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), defeated Kwankwaso of the PDP in the 2003 governorship election in Kano State. Kwankwaso, however, returned to power to succeed Shekarau after his second tenure in 2011.

Kwankwaso, Minister of Defence, appointed Ganduje as Special Adviser after they both lost the 2003 election to Shakarau. Ganduje was Deputy Governor when Kwankwaso was Kano Governor.  Kwankwaso was among the PDP G5 who joined the APC with other PDP leaders on November 23, 2013.

Then, Shekarau was one of the founding members of APC. Kwankwaso’s defection to APC relegated Shekarau’s leadership in the party, as the then incumbent governor was assuming the party leader in the state as in other states.   Shekarau subsequently defected to PDP in 2014, leaving APC for Kwankwaso.

Kwankwaso was among the 13 senators that dumped the APC last Monday for the PDP.