Kwankwaso: Buhari was misinformed… I didn’t divert Kano funds

Rabiu Kwankwaso, senator representing Kano central, says President Muhammadu Buhari was misinformed to have said he diverted state funds for his presidential campaign.

While speaking to the Nigerian community in France earlier in the month, Buhari said Ganduje was very responsible to have continued and completed the projects started by Kwankwaso, his predecessor.

The president said someone else could have diverted funds meant for completing the projects.

Although he did not mention the name of Kwankwaso, it was clear that Buhari was referring to Kwankwaso.

“I compliment the governor for doing so much. He invited me, I went to Kano, the good projects started by Kwankwaso in education and healthcare, which is [where] a lot of emphasis should be made for ordinary Nigerians, the majority, poor Nigerians, Ganduje completed them,” Buhari had said.

“If it were another person, he could have left them to show them this is the project he started, he diverted the balance to go and contest for presidency, instead of completing it.”

But reacting when he featured on Aminchi FM, a radio station in Kano, Kwankwaso, a former presidential aspirant, said it is untrue that Ganduje completed the good projects he abandoned.

“The president was misinformed, he has no idea about what is going on in Kano,” he said.

“There is no project left behind by me that was completed by Ganduje. What he completed are the former Governor Shekarau’s uncompleted projects, not mine.

“I instructed my supporters not to react to that as there was no need because those informing the president lied to him.”

He said the projects being referred to were initiated and left behind by Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor of Kano, who has now joined the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

Concerning the videos of Ganduje allegedly collecting bribe from contractors, Kwankwaso said he was privy to the video before it was made public.

He said he appealed to those in possession of the videos not to release them but they rejected his plea.

Kwankwaso described the videos as an embarrassment to the state and its people.