Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
The cold war between Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his political mentor, the erstwhile Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, have reached a crescendo following the alleged refusal of Ganduje to grant his immediate predecessor the permit to host an event in the state capital.
It was gathered that Kwankwaso, now Senator representing Kano Central, had planned to undertake a mass wedding of 100 couples under the auspices of his non-governmental organization, the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation.
However, at the last minute, Ganduje, allegedly directed the police to stop the hosting of the event, advancing security reasons.
Initially, the state government, in an attempt to scuttle the Kwankwasiyya event, also scheduled the launching of a youths empowerment programme to hold simultaneously with the Kwankwaso’s programme. However, sensing foul play, the Kwankwasiyya postponed their event to the following day with a view to avoiding any clash.
But determined to ensure that the Kwankwasiyya programme did not hold, the state government reported the matter to the police who in turn advised the two parties to postpone their events to a later date when it would guarantee security.
In a swift reaction to the cancellation of the event, the Kwankwasiyya Foundation alleged that the action of the state governor was not only fighting Kwankwaso but in a way trying to stop a fundamental religious injunction of contracting a marriage among couples.
A member of the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation and media aide to Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso, Hajiya Binta Spikin, alleged that Ganduje disguised under security cover just to deny the Kwankwasiyya the right to peaceful assembly.
She explained that Ganduje was apprehensive of the growing popularity of Kwankwaso, which is posing a serious threat to his political ambition.
