The recent visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Asiwaju of Yorubaland and national leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), to the northern Nigeria city of Kano last week, has continued to generate heated discussions within various political circles.
Tinubu’s visit to the state, BDSUNDAY gathered, was in connection with the demise of one of Nigeria’s leading political actors, and national figure, Yusuf Maitama Sule, the Danmasani of Kano. However, issues that came up during the visit showed that the purpose of the visit was beyond mere condolence.
In a behaviour which most pundits believe was out of tune with the mood of the moment, Tinubu used the occasion to venture into the murky Kano politics, particularly, the controversy raging within the Kwankwasiyya political group.
The Kwankwasiyya political group was founded by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is former governor of the state, in partnership with the incumbent governor, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, prior to the 2011 general election.
The Asiwaju, who played a pivotal role in the ascension of the APC-led national administration of Muhammadu Buhari to power, and has suddenly become one of Nigeria`s contemporary political icons, used the occasion of the visit to send a signal to political observers about his desire to extend his political influence beyond the South West region of the country.
According to sources, as part of the politicking that ushered the ruling APC to power in 2015, he had sealed a political working relationship with some power brokers within the party from the northern part of the country, which would enable him have a taste of Aso Rock after President Buhari might have completed his two terms.
With the arrangement reached with the elements of Northern political establishment, the former governor of Lagos is expected to maximally support re-election of Buhari in 2019, after which the group will reciprocate the same gesture in 2023 if everything works out well. However, before now, all issues relating to Tinubu`s interest in Nigeria`s number one political office, was at the realm of speculation, but the interest he is showing in the local politics of Kano, in the recent times, is giving some credence to the speculation that he might be up to something politically.
BDSUNDAY can authoritatively confirm that Tinubu’s influence is gradually growing within the Kano political environment, and it has been observed that the influence is more dominant within the Kwankwasiyya political group which is currently engulfed in controversy. While he has continued to entrench himself within the group, he has however, also been trying to balance his role among the two contending forces struggling for supremacy within the large group.
As it is right now, the Kwankwasiyya group is deeply divided between factions loyal to former governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the incumbent governor, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje.
As part of his strategic move into internal politics of the Kwankwasiyya group, Tinubu last Sunday during his visit to Kano State Government, endorsed Governor Ganduje’s bid for second term, after the expiration of his first term in 2019.
Tinubu`s comment on the sterling leadership qualities of the Ganduje during the visit, immediately spread like wild fire, and it was on social media which spurred jubilation among the supporters of the governor; however this did not go down well among the supporters of former governor Kwankwaso.
In a quick reaction, one of the commissioners, who served in Kwankwaso administration during his second term, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, apparently acting on the directive of Kwankwaso, denounced the endorsement, assuring that the Kwankwasiyya group will do everything possible to ensure that Ganduje is not re-elected come 2019. Also responding to the Kwankwaso’s group reaction, the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Garba, in a rejoinder on behalf of Ganduje’s supporters described Tinubu’s endorsement as an indication that the governor has delivered on his electoral promises.
While the reactions and counter-reactions continue, political pundits are of the view that the fact that Tinubu’s comment can elicit the kind of emotional reactions it is presently generating among major political actors in Kano, is an indication of his growing influence in the politics of the state in particular and the northern Nigeria in general.
Adeola Ajakaiye, Kano
