Politics

Update on heightened tension in Kano over Kwankwaso’s visit

Published

7 years ago

January 29, 2018

Olu Emmanuel

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Supporters troop in Kano City in thousands
Parents consider withdrawing children from schools on Tuesday

The consultations and subtle appeals to former Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State to cancel his January 30, 2019, visit to the State is yet to yield results as tension continues to rise in the state.

Supporters of the former Governor started trooping into the State capital as early as 10.00am on Monday in preparation for the Tuesday visit of their political principal.

The Senator’s supporters have been arriving the State capital in their thousands from various parts of the state.

The increasing number of Kwankwaso’s supporters trooping into the state capital has continued to raise the momentum of panic among residents of the city. Parents have begun to consider withdrawing their children from schools on Tuesday. Parents have become apprehensive of the possible clash between supporters of Kwankwaso and supporters of Governor Abdulahi Ganduje who have also vowed to hold rally with his supporters on the same day of the Senator’s visit.

The lingering crisis is the climax of the conflict between Kwankwaso and Ganduje. The incumbent Kano Governor has developed hostile and antagonistic attitude towards his former boss over the Senator’s presidential ambition, while incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is in the presidential race for a second tenure. Ganjude is in the frontline of All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders mobilizing support for Buhari’s re-election.

Apparently, the looming anarchy may not have been completely averted in Kano State the threat of Governor Abdulahi Ganduje to obstruct the planned visit of former Governor of the State, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso on January 30.

After wide consultation with stakeholders in the North East towards the end of 2017, Kwankwaso had shifted emphasis to visit his home state to identify with his loyalists in Kano State. As the build up to the visit garner momentum, Ganduje rose to schedule a rally with his supporters on the same day of the visit, a plot to throw the state into pandemonium.

The decision of Ganduje to hold parallel rally on the same day of Kwankwaso’s visit generates phobia of political violence in the state that could spring from violent clash between the Governor’s supporters and Kwankwaso’s supporters.

The phobia was further heightened by the attempt to reinvent the destructive violence structure in the state through recruitment of the Adaba, political thugs, which has been faced out over time.

Apparently, stakeholders in Kano State had admonished for caution and the need not to heat up the state.

President Muhammadu Buhari also had consultation with Kwankwaso in Abuja, after which there was the innuendo that the former Kano Governor may have considered cancelling the visit to Kano. However, Kwankwaso’s loyalists later held consultation with their principal, resolving that there is no going back on the planned home visit by their leader, who is also the mentor of incumbent Governor Ganduje. Thus, the Senator declared at the weekend that there is no going back on the planned January 30 visit to Kano.

Intervening over the security threat in Kano State, the Kano Police Command had on Friday told Kwankwaso, to shelve his planned January 30visit to Kano for a rally because of the rising fear of pandemonium in the state.

Rabiu Yusuf, Kano State Commissioner of Police, had admitted that, “there is apprehension amongst the general populace and tendency to hijack the visit by some disgruntled politicians or miscreants that can’t be wished away.”

The Police Commissioner revealed having knowledge of a possible security breakdown.

Kwankwaso, however, responded that the Police Commissioner should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state.

Rabiu Bichi, former Secretary to the State Government, an unalloyed Kwankwasiyya adherent, on behalf of Kwankwaso, accused the Commissioner of Police of being compromised, incompetent and openly partisan in favour of the governor.

He agitated that the role of the Police is to protect life and property; agitating that the Commissioner of Police is aware of the planned violence during the visit and is also aware of those who have made the threats of violence, so, why is the Police unable to act and neutralize the threats; or are those issuing the threats above the law?

Bichi disclosed that the Kwankwaso group has written several petitions to the Police over open threats to his life by alleged government sponsored thugs.

“At the core, the state governor does not want Kwankwaso to visit,” Bichi had complained. He insinuated that the Commissioner for Special Duties, Abdullahi Abbas, (who was caught on video inciting supporters to stone Kwankwaso); Commissioner of Water Resources, Musa Illiasu Kwankwaso, and the self-appointed Campaigner for President Buhari, Abdulmajid Danbilki Commander, were recruited to subvert Kwanlkwaso’s Tuesday visit to Kano.

Bichi highlighted: “On December 16, 2017 and January 15, 2018, Musa Iliasu Kwankwaso, was on air and publicly declared on Radio Express 90.3 FM and Radio FM Pyramid 103.5, that they will never allow the Senator to come and that he was giving notice that whichever day he chooses to come, they will arrange a political programme to counter the visit.

“In another choreographed pattern, the self-appointed Presidential Spokesperson, Abdulmajid Danbilki Commander, was on Radio Aminchi in Kano and FRCN Kaduna and publicly declared that Senator Kwankwaso will be arrested if he goes ahead with the visit.

“Also, Kwankwaso reportedly received a letter from CP Yusuf, advising him to shelve the Kano visit, …in line with the threats made by the three spokespersons of the governor.”

He protested why the Police are unable to act against all these commissioners and government officials making these public threats to life and property, and working hard to impinge on the rights of others to peaceful assembly.

All eyes are now on Kano State over the political drama over tomorrow’s visit by Kwankwaso and Ganduje’s counter rally.National Daily monitors the developments and will continue to bring you all the updates.