The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Rep Alhassan Doguwa, has dared Rep Abdulmumin Jibrin (NNPP, Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency) to drop a bombshell against him.
Abdulmumini had, in reply to Hon.Doguwa’s statement, tagged, ” Doguwa slams Abdulmumini, says Kwankwaso was my colleague in 3rd Republic when you were in school,” threatened to drop a bombshell that will lead to Doguwa’s expulsion from the All Progressives Congress (APC) if he does not stop attacking former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Abdulmumini had warned Doguwa, a ranking lawmaker who had won the election to represent Doguwa/Tundun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State seven times against insulting the self-acclaimed national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
The verbal war was started by Kwankwaso when he called Doguwa and all APC leaders “Banzaye”, meaning stupid people, in a widely circulated video.
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In response, Doguwa in a statement to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, challenged Abdulmumini “to drop the so-called bombshell ”, saying he remains a bonafide, committed and founding member of the APC, the largest political party in Africa.
” I challenge Abdulmumini Jibrin to drop any bombshell he has against me. I dare him not to spear or keep secret whatever he knows about my political conviction and or commitment to my party, the APC. I remain a loyal and sincere member of the ruling APC.
” I also believe and have faithful confidence in the leadership of our party. I admire and believe in the governmental policies and programs of our party. I am not a coward politician and cannot be intimidated or blackmailed by sweeping accusations or phantom threats,” he said.
Doguwa, the leader of the Northern Regional Caucus in the House of Representatives, said his steadfast commitment to the APC can only be confirmed and verified by the outcome of the last general elections in his domain.
” I won all the elections in my federal constituency, including the presidential election, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu defeated Kwankwaso in my home LGA (Doguwa), and I won my election for the 7th time. I also delivered my two state assembly members to the APC, a rare performance in the last election in Kano State. My federal constituency remains unarguably APC controlled despite the so-called “political tsunami” during the 2023 general elections,” he said.
Puncturing Abdulmumini’s claims, Doguwa said he has, by God’s grace, won election four times without Kwankwaso, the latest being the 2023 general elections.
” I have, by the grace of Allah, won my elections to the House of Representatives four consecutive times without Kwankwaso. And with Allah SWT, I don’t need him to win my future elections.
” I am not a dependent or a political parasite like Abdulmumini, who cannot win an election without someone around him. He had always relied on the political structure of others to win elections. That was why in 2019 when the courts ordered a rerun election in his (Abdulmumini) constituency like mine, he could not return to the House of Representatives because he had nobody around him. He stood solo and lost out while I won my rerun election by Allah’s grace,” Doguwa, the House of Representatives leader in the 9th Assembly, said.
Doguwa further said that he had occupied various positions, including serving as the Chief Whip in the 8th Assembly, the Majority Leader in the 9th Assembly, chairman of the House Committee on MDGs and the House Special Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill, which was instrumental to the bill’s final passage in the 9th Assembly.
” Today, I served in a parliamentary position as the Chairman of the Northern regional caucus of the 10th House under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. All these positions I held in the parliament were without any animosity. I was never removed from these offices. No matter what anyone may say about a person, no one can change the rocket. History: I was Kwankwaso’s colleague in 1992 during the 3rd Republic when you Abdulmumini were in school,” he emphasised.
Doguwa’s popularity started at the Bayero University Kano (BUK), where he was the best graduating student – in 1989/90 and President of the Mass Communications Students Association, laying the foundation for a successful political career spanning about four decades. Also, to his credit, he has a Masters in Public Relations (PR) from the same university and a Global Certificate in Strategic Leadership Skills from the Harvard Business School, United States, among others.
Regarding traditional titles, Doguwa said that besides being the Sardaunan Rano, he had been conferred four other traditional titles from different parts of the country.
” For the avoidance of doubt, I want to put it on the record that I remain Sardaunan Rano in the face of the law, and as a national leader, I also have the honour to be turbaned as Dallatun Kangiwa in Kebbi State, Danburam of Bukuyyum in Zamfara State, Barden Saminaka in Kaduna State and Nasarawa State, North Central geopolitical zone, I hold the respected title of the Gado Da Masu of Ukke,”he said.
