Kano people will be overall winners – Senator Doguwa

Senator Masud El-Jibril Doguwa is a factional chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State. His faction has long been engaged in a legal battle with the wing led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. In this interview, he speaks on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s likely defection from the NNPP to the APC. […]

Senator Masud El-Jibril Doguwa is a factional chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State. His faction has long been engaged in a legal battle with the wing led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. In this interview, he speaks on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s likely defection from the NNPP to the APC.

Which faction of the NNPP do you lead, and do you support the governor’s move to the APC?

I belong to the party that uses the “basket of fruits” as its original logo. We must understand that a sitting governor defecting to another party is not a new phenomenon in our politics. It dates back to the Second Republic when Abubakar Rimi moved from the PRP to the NPP.

Senator Kwankwaso himself, while serving as governor, moved from the PDP to the nPDP, then to the APC, and eventually back to the PDP. Even Ganduje, as a deputy governor, moved parties alongside Kwankwaso. If Gov. Abba decides to leave the NNPP for the APC or any other party, it is a normal occurrence in the political history of Kano State.

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How would such a defection alter the balance of power, and who stands to gain or lose the most?

The people of Kano State will be the primary beneficiaries. Our political terrain currently suffers from intense and often confusing rivalry. If Gov. Abba joins the APC, we may finally see relative peace within the political cycle.

Political stability is essential for business and economic growth. Furthermore, joining the APC allows the governor to sit directly with President Tinubu to address Kano’s specific challenges in security, education, and health. If he remains in the opposition, “cabals” might prevent the president from approving projects that could strengthen an opposition stronghold. President Tinubu needs him, and Kano needs that federal blueprint.

Kano politics appears to be on the brink of a major realignment. If Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf defects, how fundamentally does that alter the balance of power in the state?

Well, it is not a one-size-fits-all answer for this. It depends on how you look at the system in its totality and what your political leaning is in Kano. If you belong to the governor’s side, your perspective is that the governor has executive powers and wishes to exercise those powers without restraint from any quarters. He would like to have a free hand, taking into cognisance the massive powers vested in the governor’s office.

If you look from the perspective of those supporting Abba’s defection to the APC, you will see it as him being liberated. He would have more space to play, especially regarding government finances, contracts, and other policy decisions. However, there is a danger in that angle because, no matter how you look at it, you can never truly remove the umbilical cord connecting Abba to Kwankwaso.

Where he is going is also “infested waters” where there are many competing political interests. Even as we speak, the APC in Kano is facing serious internal challenges. The internal friction within the Kano APC is arguably worse than the external forces the party faces heading towards the elections.

He should tread carefully and, if possible, find a middle ground. Even if he moves to the APC, he should maintain some form of understanding with Kwankwaso, though that remains a very difficult thing to achieve. History shows that whenever a loyalist shifts their loyalty, even slightly, it becomes nearly impossible to correct the understanding between the competing parties.

On the side of Kwankwaso, I think he is being very careful because, at the very top, he knows who he is dealing with. I remember he was governor when President Tinubu was also a governor; they are peers. He knows the intrigues and political calculations at that level. He doesn’t want to enter the APC only to be swallowed up or diluted. He is trying to find his footing to ensure that his focus and ambition for 2031 is not compromised.

You mentioned that within the APC, there are major internal divisions. How do you see such a development affecting the future political calculations of figures like Ganduje, Barau Jibrin, and Nasir Gawuna?

To be honest, I don’t want to narrow it down to individuals because I am a party member and I have personal relationships with most of the figures you mentioned. However, the challenges the APC has in Kano date back to 2019. There is no internal democracy in the Kano APC. Major stakeholders are not consulted on major decisions; the party is operated as a small circle headed by Ganduje.

Many serious stakeholders are unhappy because they are not being consulted. If those of us who have been in the APC and contributed immensely to its success are being treated this way, one wonders how Abba will find himself in this situation. No matter if you are the governor, you need that trickle-down effect in terms of consultation and party decision-making.

The challenge is massive, given the short period between now and the 2027 election. It is not going to be a rosy ride for him. Even Barau is not finding it easy. Despite being the number five or six citizen in the nation, he faces many challenges, talk less of someone just coming in now.

Remember, currently, Abba has taken Ganduje to several courts and is investigating him on many fronts. It is a very dicey situation. He has told the world that Ganduje is corrupt, including his family. That very person is the one currently controlling the APC in Kano. Will Abba drop those charges? Will he retract his statements and now claim Ganduje is a saint? Even if Ganduje comes close to Abba, it will be a cat-and-mouse game that will only manifest a few months before the election.

Unless the president personally intervenes and asks major stakeholders to allow Abba to contest the governorship without a primary, I assure you he will not get that ticket on a platter.

It is believed that Ganduje controls the APC structure as a former governor and national chairman, while Barau is seen as a major financier with grassroots support…

I don’t think Barau controls the grassroots. I think he is someone fixated on becoming governor who feels he can throw money at any problem. Looking at the history of politics in Kano, that is a very wrong strategy. I was his pioneer secretary-general for his campaign in 2019 before I entered the ring myself. Many people with Barau are only there for what they can get from him. He does not have a firm structure on the ground or a strong followership based on ideology, because there is no ideology in what he is doing.

Even without Abba coming into the scene, I don’t think Barau can pull it off. From the information I have, he is being supported by the president, but even then, it will be extremely difficult for him to become the governor of Kano. You cannot simply throw money at every problem.

A lot of people assume that after the APC convention, the governor, if he joins early, will be able to influence the new leadership structure. Do you think he can upstage Ganduje’s structure and match Barau’s financial muscle?

Senator Masud El-Jibril Doguwa is a factional chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State. His faction has long been engaged in a legal battle with the wing led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. In this interview, he speaks on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s likely defection from the NNPP to the APC.

Kano people will be overall winners – Senator Doguwa

You mention relative peace, but Kwankwaso has insisted he will not join the APC except some conditions are met. Can Gov. Abba succeed without his political benefactor?

I speak from experience. When Kwankwaso was governor, he had significant misunderstandings with his own “godfathers”, figures like Abubakar Rimi, Musa Gwadabe, and Ambassador Aminu Wali. Yet, because he held the apparatus of government, he maintained control over a large portion of the followers.

Gov. Abba is in a similar position. He controls the government machinery. If he uses it judiciously, I don’t believe he will be negatively affected by more than 30 per cent. While leaving a long-term associate is never easy, most elected officials are currently with the governor. We will eventually see how the followers divide themselves between Abba and Kwankwaso, and time will reveal who truly holds the reins.

Some argue the real rivalry is between Ganduje and Kwankwaso. If the governor joins Ganduje’s side, won’t the friction persist?

The primary rivalry is indeed between Kwankwaso and Ganduje. I don’t believe there is a personal issue between Ganduje and Gov. Abba. As a “middle man,” Abba brings a majority of the people back to the APC with him. If the followers of both leaders decide to coexist peacefully, we will witness a wonderful political development in the state.

There are many ambitious figures in the Kano APC, such as Barau Jibrin and Nasiru Gawuna. Can Gov. Yusuf assert himself and secure a second-term ticket?

No one defects to a new party without significant assurances. I am certain Gov. Abba has been assured of his position. However, even if he didn’t join, the rivalry among those names already exists. To win Kano, there must be synergy between these political “gladiators.” If they cannot find that synergy, they can forget about the governorship.

If the people are the winners, who is the biggest loser?

Those who oppose the system will be the losers. We are witnessing a new trend where governors across the country are defecting to the APC. One must ask why this is happening. If our governor does not follow this “bandwagon,” it will affect all of us. As some say, if it is a “madness,” let the governor join so he isn’t left out. It is better to be at the table when the future is decided than to be left behind.