From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Former governor of Kano state, Ibrahim Shekarau has declared that he will not leave the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC until he save the party from collapsing.
The former governor, who is the serving senator, representing Kano Central also said that he would not dump APC until he salvage the people of Kano from bad leadership.
Recall that the two political gladiators in the state had parted ways on the eve of the APC state congresses, and held parallel elections that produced Abdullahi Abbas and Ahmadu Danzago for Ganduje and Shekarau’s factions respectively.
Speaking at length during the meeting of his Shura Council, held at his residence in Kano state on Tuesday, Shekarau said he decided to form a faction within APC because the principles of internal democracy had been violated by the leadership, led by governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
According to Shekarau, since after the 2019 elections, he had never been involved in the affairs of the APC in the state, adding that even the appointment of some of his political disciples was done without his input.
Shekarau stated that he believes in leadership and tried to follow Ganduje as the leader of the party in Kano, but, according to him, the way the governor was handling the party was the reason why they feel their patience had been exhausted and were compelled to look for the way forward.
Shekarau further stated that he had been “too patient” with Ganduje on how the governor had sidelined him in the party, adding that, “we feel that the party had crossed our line that is why we reacted this way.”
“Because we have been too patient. We feel that the party has crossed our line that is why we reacted this way. That’s why we have taken this decision to show that being patient is not cowardice.
“We try to follow Ganduje as the leader because we believe in leadership but there are conditions. The conditions are that if the leader make mistakes should be corrected. We need internal democracy. Listen to our advices and suggestions,” he said
Shekarau narrated that “the governor invited all party leaders of the country, including Adams Oshiomole, the national leader of the party then, to beg me to join APC. I told them to allow me to make consultations. I summoned a meeting of the shura council where we made a stand to join APC. Some of my associates suggested that we should not join APC without agreements. But I prevailed on them to join the party head on.
“Not long a long after I joined the party, the governor bought a nomination form for me and beg me to contest for senator, I said no. In 2015, senator Lado begged me to contest and he would step down for me and I declined. Oshiomole and Ganduje begged me profusely to accept the offer to contest for senator, which i eventually obliged,”
The senator continued to narrate that “the governor said he will follow me to submit the form to ensure that I submitted it at the national party secretariat. I presented my campaign schedule to Ganduje to 15 LGAs, but the governor said he will follow me to do the campaign. He even invited the local government party chairmen to come to my residence to pay allegiance to me.
“But, I participated in his campaign. I followed him everywhere he went.
“After all this, form that time, I have never been involved in the party activities. Even some are suspecting me of sidelining them. I have totally been sidelined.
“ In terms of appointment, Ganduje has never asked me to bring a candidate. The governor rather picked some members of my camp to give them appointment and I’m not jealous about that. I even advised them to be honest and obey their leader. I always ask my camp members to be good ambassadors,” he said.
He said they called for consensus during the Congress but the Ganduje-led APC refused to need to their advices and went ahead to select candidates without following due process.
Shekarau however explained that the Shurah council was formed since 2011 in order to be meeting and charting way forward in his political movement.
