The political atmosphere in Kano State has been stirred by the invitation extended by Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Kano State, to the state’s incumbent governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and the national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Ganduje’s gesture, which aims to bridge the divide between the former allies, has sparked a wide range of reactions among their supporters.
Ganduje, who served as deputy to Kwankwaso from 1999 to 2015 before becoming governor, made the call for unity during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kano.
However, Governor Yusuf, through his spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin Tofa, dismissed the invitation, stating it was not formally communicated and was merely circulating on social media, affirming that the governor has no plans to defect from his party.
The invitation comes against the backdrop of a long-standing political rivalry between Ganduje and Kwankwaso, which saw Ganduje winning a contentious rerun election in 2019 to retain his gubernatorial seat.
Ganduje’s recent attempts to reconcile and invite Kwankwaso and Yusuf to the APC have been met with skepticism, particularly given the historical context of their political battles in Kano State.
