The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stepped into the confrontation between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and his former boss, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, over control of the party structure in the state.
Ganduje was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. He told reporters at the end of the parley that all was now well between him and the former governor.
He said: “The situation is under control, it is an in-house problem which is under control. We are talking about it. Yes, reconciliation is ongoing and it will work. We have been together for long. We are politically brothers and friends. Therefore, we will make sure that we don’t allow things to continue to fall apart.
Their face-off featured all week in the media following Kwankwaso’s visit to Kano last weekend to condole with the governor on the death of his mother. Trouble broke out after the state government alleged that people suspected to be Kwankwaso’s supporters brandished dangerous weapons and harassed innocent people during Kwankwaso’s visit. The APC leadership in the state also issued a statement strongly condemning Kwankwaso and threatened to suspend him.
The former governor disowned the thugs and accused the state government of whipping up sentiments against him.
The State House of Assembly joined the fray by passing a resolution in support of Ganduje as the leader of the APC in the state.
Asked yesterday whether he would continue to wear the red cap, which is Kwankwaso’s trademark and mostly worn by his supporters, Ganduje said: “What are you seeing on my head now?”
He said he was at the Villa to brief President Buhari on the security situation in Kano, especially on cattle rustling and kidnapping, both of which, according to him, are now under control. He explained that the amnesty package extended to those that have decided to turn a new leaf and their empowerment programme were also discussed during the meeting.
