Kano APC crisis: Shekarau’s meeting with lawmakers sparks fresh dust

A meeting of some Kano federal lawmakers at the residence of Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor of the state, has raised fresh dust on the lingering crisis in the state’s chapter of the ruling party.

The meeting held ahead of Saturday’s state congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Shekarau, a two-term former governor of the state and current senator representing Kano Central, had played host to Senators Kabiru Gaya (Kano-South) and Barau Jibrin (Kano North) at his Abuja residence.

Others at the meeting include House of Representative members: Sha’aban Sharada (Kano Municipal), Tijjani Jobe (Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimingado), Haruna Dederi (Karaye/Rogo) and Nasiru Auduwa (Gabasawa/Gezawa).

But the presence of Alhaji Ahmadu Haruna Danzago, an aspirant for the APC chairmanship in the state, had raised eyebrows.

Some politicians familiar with happenings in Kano interpreted this as a grand move to wrestle the leadership of the party from Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Some of those who attended the meeting (Sharada and Jobe) are known to be at loggerheads with Ganduje and the caretaker committee of the party in the state.

Recall that while the party leadership had adopted consensus arrangement during the ward and local government congresses, members loyal to Sharada and Jobe conducted parallel congresses.

The tussle for the chairmanship of the party in the state has remained one of the key issues tearing at the heart of the party.

The current interim chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, and Danzago, a former chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), are considered close to Ganduje but are seldom seen together with the governor at any occasion because of the perceived animosity between them.

Danzago told Daily Trust that he was at the meeting as an aspirant for the party’s state chairmanship and that he met with the lawmakers to solicit for their votes during the forthcoming congress.

A media consultant to Shekarau, Sule Ya’u Sule, however, said there was nothing new with the meeting of the lawmakers at Shekarau’s residence.

He said the lawmakers occasionally meet at the residence of the two-term former governor to discuss issues that have to do with the state.

But sources from Shekarau’s camp earlier indicated that all is not well between the Ganduje-led leadership of the APC and the former governor, stressing that they believe the governor has not been fair to them despite the role they played in helping him retain power in 2019.

Also, observers of Kano politics said the meeting may play a pivotal role going forward in the fate of the party in the state, starting with the outcome of Saturday’s state congress.