Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano state, says Rabiu Kwankwaso, his predecessor, has been forced to retire from politics.
Ganduje said this when he received Abdul’aziz Garba-Gafasa, speaker of the state assembly, alongside some members of the ruling party who accompanied four newly elected state legislators during a visit to the governor.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) won six out of the seven legislative seats (federal and state assembly) during the recent rerun elections.
Ganduje said the APC victory in the elections is a clear indication that Kwankwaso has been retired from politics.
Ganduje served as Kwankwaso’s deputy for eight years but both men fell apart shortly before he succeeded the former governor.
“Some years back when he (Kwankwaso) was warming up to contest for the presidential seat, he boasted that he would retire President Muhammadu Buhari from politics saying also that he would retire me from politics. But if you look at it now, who then is forced to retire?” Ganduje asked.
“The member of the state assembly is from Madobi, member House of Representatives from there, Chairman of the local government, councillors, senator where Madobi falls, the state governor and president are all APC. So, we have retired him from politics.
“Some political remarks and behaviours of Kwankwaso, particularly during election period are not in order. Our style of politics is calculative and decent. I can therefore not follow his style, that is always castigating without any decorum. We respect people and we see respect and dignity in people. Ours is not like theirs.”
On why the APC lost Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency, Ganduje said: “We couldn’t get that seat as a result of the crisis that rocked the party at the constituency. The APC candidate was in conflict with the leadership of the party in the state, in the local government, with the local government administration and even with the electorate. That caused us to lose the seat as a party.”
Abdulmumin Jibrin, an ally of Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, was the APC candidate in the constituency.