Kano, Nigeria
Hashimu Dungurawa, chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State, has dismissed speculations that the party has struck a deal with President Bola Tinubu to retain the state.
The speculations emerged after a meeting between the leader of the party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Tinubu in the Presidential Villa.
Dungurawa, while describing the speculations as baseless, said the NNPP does not need anybody to sustain its mandate in Kano State.
According to him, in 2015, Tinubu met with Kwankwaso because of his understanding that he (Kwankwaso) had what it takes to ensure the victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, “and together they won Kano and Nigeria for former President Muhammadu Buhari”.
“That time in 2015, Kwankwaso ensured that all political seats – Governor, Deputy, 40 State House of Assembly, 27 House of Representatives and 3 Senators – were won by APC in Kano, and the same thing repeated itself in 2023 with NNPP winning everything with only one minor Senate seat slipping out to APC.
“Therefore, because of these facts and many more, President Tinubu who is gradually freeing himself from the shackles of Ganduje, now believes that his alliance with Kwankwaso is much more needed than any other person,” the NNPP Kano chairman said.
“We are aware of so many negative moves by Ganduje and his cohorts ahead of the Supreme Court judgement, but they have forgotten that power belongs to God and whether they like it or not if he says Abba would continue to be the Governor of Kano State there is nothing they can do.
“President Tinubu is so attracted to our peoples-oriented projects in Kano and he agreed to see us to discuss matters of governance, but because the APC in Kano is so aligned with negativity, they think we were there to secure our mandate,” he added.