Tinubu’s Master Stroke In Kano Puts Ganduje, Kwankwaso On Edge

President Bola Tinubu’s decision to look beyond Dr Umar Ganduje and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in picking the two ministers from the state into his cabinet is indicative of the president’s decision to build a separate political base independent of the two power blocs in the electorally important state.

GWG.ng reports that Kano comes second to Lagos in the number of votes and could prove decisive in the event of a presidential rerun or even a second term should Tinubu survive the petitions against him.

Despite assurances said to have reached to bring Kwankwaso into the cabinet ahead of the inauguration, the president snubbed him in the latest list of ministerial nominations. Bringing Kwankwaso into the cabinet was seen as the easiest way to hold Kano for the president.

However, the move had a serious problem as it was bound to upset Ganduje who is the closest of the last class of former governors from the north to the president.

Tinubu it was gathered now prefers Ganduje as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC. There had been reports that the president had requested him to nominate someone to fill the slot earmarked for Kano.
GWG.ng reports that sources in Kano claim that Ganduje had nominated an ally in the person of Suleiman Bichi for the position. It is reported that Bichi was earmarked for a minister of state position.

However, Tinubu swept off the permutations as concerning Ganduje and Kwakwanso when he nominated two neutral persons from Kano without significant ties to either Ganduje or Kwakwanso.

The two nominated were Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, and Dr Maryam Shetty. Gwarzo according to sources in Kano has had a long lasting personal cum political relationship with Tinubu.

Dr Shetty who would be the second female to be appointed a minister in the Fourth Republic from Kano was neither chosen by Ganduje nor Kwankwaso. An international sports doctor with past working relationship with 100 meters legend, Usain Bolt, Dr Shetty galvanized an independent political mobilization for Tinubu ahead of the election.

Even more, she is said to be quite close to Jafar Jafar, the publisher of the Daily Nigerian, the online media outfit that first published Ganduje allegedly stuffing dollar notes.

“Ganduje could not have nominated her as doing so would have meant cohabiting with Jafar Jafar, the very man that dollarized him,” a source in Kano revealed.

GWG.ng reports that with the twin moves that President Tinubu may have decided to look beyond Ganduje and Kwankwaso in building an independent political base of the two men now in charge of Kano.

After meeting Tinubu in Paris, France before the inauguration with the prospect of a ministerial nomination, Kwankwaso may have lost his voice for political mobilisation against the president while Ganduje will on his part focus himself on building the party if his nomination as party chairman sails through.

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