Kano 2019: Kwankwaso’s date with history

It is no longer news that former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso who represents Kano Central in the Senate is the new leader of People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Kano State by virtue of his position as the highest elected political office holder on the platform of PDP from the state. The return […]

It is no longer news that former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso who represents Kano Central in the Senate is the new leader of People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Kano State by virtue of his position as the highest elected political office holder on the platform of PDP from the state.

The return of Senator Kwankwaso to PDP and his ascension to the position of party leader did not come without a price as one of the leaders of the party and former Governor; Ibrahim Shekarau was forced to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC.The defection of Shekarau along with some of his followers and loyalists resulted in confusion and turbulence of some sorts in the Kano State chapter of the PDP.

However, the dust is fast settling and stability is gradually returning to the party due to the decision of one of the pillars of the Shekarau bloc and two time governorship candidate and  leading aspirant to the same governorship position in 2019  Malam Salihu Sagir Takai not to defect to the APC. This resolve by Takai to remain in PDP is indeed a heavy blow to Shekarau as most party faithful especially executives at Ward and local government levels, aspirants into various elective offices including governorship, National and State Houses of Assembly, party stalwarts and mass supporters  also stay back in the PDP.

Before his defection, Shekarau who is a long time political rival of Senator, Kwankwaso accused the national leadership of the PDP of injustice owing to an agreement they reached with Senator Kwankwaso to share the party structures with his bloc by conceding fifty one percent of the structures to him while Shekarau and other groups share fourty nine percent. This led to crisis within the party including court actions. In the height of this disagreement, the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP dissolved the State executive committee and constituted a seven-man caretaker committee led by a core loyalist of Senator Kwankwaso, Engineer Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi. This action of the party’s NWC heightened fears for the dissolution of other structures at Ward and Local Government levels and further compound the likely hood for more mass defection. Suddenly, the caretaker committee chairman announced that other structures remained and assured that there was no plan for the dissolution of any organ of the party. This action of the caretaker it was gathered came after the Kwankwasiyya leader conceded his bargain of fifty one percent control of the party structure. According to credible sources, Senator Kwankwaso was of the view that his return to the party will not spell doom for the majority as such the structures should remain untouched. In the same manner an agreement was reached for the expansion of the seven-man caretaker committee to include other blocs within the party notably; that of Ambassador Aminu Wali, Shekarau bloc now led by Salihu Takai and Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo. This magnanimity by Kwankwaso set the ball rolling for settling the already tensed atmosphere in PDP. Already activities towards selecting the party’s flag bearers for the 2019 elections are in tough gear.

Therefore, since the party has succeeded in putting its house in order and engages in the process of selecting its flag bearers, it is important to commend Senator Kwankwaso for proving those that left the party wrong on their allegation of perceived marginalization by refusing to allow his personal interest to override that of the majority. However, the PDP in Kano is at another crossroads of choosing who fly the party’s flag in the 2019 governorship election. It is instructive to note that the PDP has clear and bright chance of winning the governorship in Kano come 2019 owing to poor performance and lack of popularity of the incumbent APC government under Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Already, the process of consensus among aspirants has commenced earlier in the week at the residence of Senator Kwankwaso in Kaduna with Salihu Sagir Takai in attendance. The exercise which lasted for two days witnessed a large turnout of aspirants into various elective political offices. Reports from the Kaduna consensus meeting indicated that the exercise was conducted for aspiring National and State Houses of Assembly.

No sooner than the consensus meeting was over, news filtered in that Senator Kwankwaso has penciled down Salihu Sagir Takai for Kano South Senatorial district contest, Prof. Hafizu Abubakar for Kano Central Senatorial zone and Ahmad Garba Bichi for Kano North. This news was received with disbelief and shock within the PDP and Kano political circle, because Malam Salihu Takai is not  just a  leading governorship aspirant  but a favorite who has purchased and submitted his form for the contest to the party whereas the other two who are Kwankwasiyya adherents were yet to indicate their interests for the 2019 elections.

Before, the news of Kwankwaso’s alleged penciling down of Takai and others for Senate contest, many people in Kano are in agreement that Takai would be Kwankwaso’s preferred choice for governorship. This convergence of opinion was hinged on the fact that Kwankwaso has on many occasion publically showers encomium on Takai’s honesty, transparency, integrity, sense of responsibility, industry, and fear of God. In one of his famous Radio interviews, Kwankwaso was quoted to have referred Takai as the right man in the wrong camp. This assertion by Kwankwaso was made when Takai was in the opposing party with him. Kwankwaso’s complimentary remark was based on his personal and official knowledge of Takai who served as local government Chairman when Kwankwaso served his first tenure as Kano State governor 1999-2003. In the same vein, the duo of Kwankwaso and Takai were in DPN during the aborted Sani Abacha transition programme, as such their acquaintance dates back to over two decades long before that of the so called Kwankwasiyya loyalists.

In fact, even before the return of Kwankwaso to PDP in the height of his rivalry and disagreement with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje whom the Senator vowed to dethrone, the Kwankwasiyya adherents especially voters in Kano have not hidden their endorsement of Takai for governorship come 2019 based on the endorsing remarks of Kwankwaso for Takai.

Therefore, even though Kwankwaso is known for his uncompromising insistence for only Kwankwasiyya adherents when it comes to political decisions, but his admiration and commendation for Takai made even the Kwankwasiyya adherents to feel at home with Takai to the extent that an average Kwankwasiyya adherent would it find unbelievable and inconceivable that Kwankwaso can endorse another aspirant than the man he was always full of praises for.

Already, the atmosphere in Kano is charged with massive support for Takai’s governorship ambition. This is an open secret that even Kawankwaso cannot dispute. As such one wonders if truly Kwankwaso want PDP to takeover power in Kano or remain in the opposition.

Lest Kwankwaso forget, the loss of PDP to Ganduje in 2019 would spell doom for the Kwankwasiyya movement and have adverse and devastating effect on the massive support the Madobi born Senator enjoys. Therefore, a stitch in time saves nine.  Senator Kwankwaso has date with history either to make or mar the chances of PDP to take over power in 2019 or lose to the APC and prepare to remain in the cooler for only God knows when. The choice is Kwankwaso’s as the saying goes one can force Horse to the river but cannot force it to drink the water.

 Muhammad Auwal wrote in from Hotoro Kano.