My Kwankwaso, our Buhari and APC challenge

BY MOHAMMED YUSUF

Whenever I am tempted to write about Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State and President Muhammadu Buhari I am always in a dilemma because of what each of them represents to me and the great respect I have for them. For instance, Buhari is a close family Friend. As a young student at the Government College Katsina he lived under the tutelage of my maternal grandmother, late Hajiya Rabi Ammani Yari who died exactly December 20 years ago may her gentle soul rest in perfect peace amin. Buhari symbolizes uprightness.

On the other hand, I met Kwankwaso in 1998 at the residence of Alhaji Salisu Buhari Who I was partially under the tutelage of when I was in secondary school. but we became much closer in 2007 and 2010 when he commenced moves to return to Kano Government House as Governor of the state At that time, I was consulting and preparing to run for the House of Representatives seat to represent (Nassarawa Federal Constituency). But he didn’t support me, he wanted Baraka Sani and all that is now history

However, as Kano State Governor between 2011 and 2015, he appointed me to Chair the Kano Entrepreneurial Development and equally made me his adviser on Enterprise Developments, a sector he made a cardinal pivot of his administration. These realities made us particularly close. We travelled together to several countries in the world on official capacity. I enjoyed his style of leadership; his listening ears and the manner he demonstrated trust in those working with him. He made himself accessible and ensured that all official communications reached him as he gave standing instructions that nobody should hold up a communication even if it was meant to insult him. This provided many the greatest source of admiring him. In addition, he is an administrator per excellence, a man with passion for development, he doesn’t attend to idle talks. He is one Hausa man whom I have never heard or seen swearing with God’s name like most of us all do.

Kwankwaso and Buhari later became really close in life. This closeness was cemented as I was a witness on the day Buhari’s convoy was attacked in Kaduna by Boko Haram insurgents. I was present when Buhari called Kwankwaso in an emotion- laden voice thanking Allah for sparing his life and expressing appreciation to Kwankwaso for being used by God to save his life. This was evident in the fact that the Bullet Proof car Buhari was using when the incident occurred that prevented him from being killed was donated to him by Kwankwaso. Moreover, Kwankwaso ordered that his staff car should be immediately sent to Baba Buhari to further express his solidarity on that fateful day.

Baba Buhari as former president who was out of office for several years enjoyed uncommon friendship and support from Kwankwaso as Governor of Kano State. He was always being received with glitz and glamour by the Kano people and Government. You need not mobilize people for Buhari they love him and had hopes that he could change their lives whenever he became president. That’s why I was shocked when some people in Kano were celebrating the manner they hosted President Buhari recently. Kwankwaso had done much greater and demonstrated far-reaching loyalty, warmth, passion and love for Buhari even as a private Nigerian

Buhari has not hidden the leadership competence of Kwankwanso who is Governor Ganduje political godfather now unfortunately and painfully betrayed by him. When Mr. Buhari was asked by Nduka Obiegbuna, publisher of Thisday Newspaper in a chat with journalists if he were not interested in the Presidency who else would he prefer for the seat, he responded Kwankwaso . His argument was that Kwankwanso is a working machine capable of transforming Nigeria within the shortest possible time

Buhari and Kwankwaso have had common features. Both of them served as Governors under Olusegun Obasanjo Presidency although at different times and varied forms of government – civilian and military. They also served as Ministers at various times under Obasanjo. Buhari was Minister of Petroleum 1976 – 1979 while Kwankwaso served as Minister of Defence between 2003 and 2007

As President and leader of APC in Nigeria, the bulk now stops at Buhari’s table to take decisive steps to grapple with the challenges bedeviling the party across the country. Given Buhari’s popularity in Kano which has been made possible by Kwankwaso presiding over the almost two million votes victory, the APC crisis in Kano state offers the President a major acid test. It is expected that Buhari should move in urgently to contain the situation. This is because Buhari’s inaction on the kano crisis and indeed the crises that have enveloped the party in some other parts of the country may impact negatively on the President’s chances of re-election in 2019. This was evidenced in the Masari- Lado debacle in 2011 that ruined CPC chances of capturing Buhari’s home state, Katsina and also Mohammad Abatcha – Jafaaru Isa stalemate although kano was slightly different due to the fact Kwankwaso was PDP candidate and very popular and Tugga – Dan China conflict in Bauchi that spelt doom for CPC in the state. This is the time to do everything politically and strategically possible to avert a repeat of the CPC sad experiences in many states in the North in 2011

The President’s spokesman Garba Shehu has issued statement on Buhari’s neutrality on the party crises despite his key aides active involvement but I must observe that this is not the time for the party’s topmost leader, Buhari to seat on the fence; it is a clear demonstration of leadership inertia. It is improper that at such a time key APC states in the North such as Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano are boiling and getting to the level of explosion, a situation that would likely spill over to other states if urgent action is not taken the president is worryingly campaigning neutrality. A stitch in time they say saves nine. And a word is enough for the wise