2019: Nnamdi Kanu May Run For Office - Kwankwaso

A former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, may ride on his popularity to contest in the 2019 election.

​Kwankwaso (APC, ​representing ​Kano Central​ in the Senate​), ​also admonished South-East leaders to do more in dissociating themselves from Biafra agitation to prove they are truly for Nigeria’s unity.

He said: ​”​My understanding of the situation is that the people agitating in the South-East feel that they are better if they are given independence as Biafrans. All what they are saying, going by what we read in the newspapers, is the need for more appointments, more development and so on.

​”​If you look at appointments, you are just talking of a link, a very small aspect of a very big chain. To me, for one part of the country to be talking of secession because of appointments, is going too far, and soon people start agitation for many reasons.

​”​May be this is what they are saying and something else may be in their minds. For those of us who have been in politics for some tim​e, ​ at least 25 years​,​ and going by my personal experience across the country and beyond, you see, some people may start agitation because of their own personal interest.

​”​Some of them are politicians who want to start politicking and everybody has gotten his way of starting it. Before 1992, when I was a civil servant, I started politics through self-help, group activities and that was how I galvanised my constituency and local government.

​”​As I’m studying the body language, I wouldn’t be surprised, if the young man (Nnamdi Kanu) who is making this agitation, decides to contest election in the next political dispensation​. T​hat’s how so many of them started, they mobilise and, at the end of the day, they become heroes and champions and they will start championing their personal interest.

​”​We love them in Kano as they are very hard working people. The South-East leaders should come out to condemn the agitation by these Igbo young men for Biafra; maybe because they are afraid of the young men or because of possible attacks, they kept quiet.

​”​To keep quiet will not help anybody and that’s not the way to go. The way to go is for the elders to come out and say the right thing at the right time​”, the Senator told Vanguard.

By Ameh Comrade Godwin

PDP And APC Don't Have The Capacity To Function Well - Kwankwaso

Former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are weak and lack the capacity to function very well.

Kwankwaso disclosed this in Abuja during a chat with select newsmen.

He, however, said that despite the weakness of the APC, he had no plan to dump the party, stressing that there was nowhere else to go other than the ruling party.

On the perceived weaknesses of the PDP, Kwankwaso said Nigeria deserved to have a virile opposition to strengthen its democracy.

According to him, if the nation lacked a strong opposition party, “everybody will go to bed and sleep.”

The ex-governor also said it was too early to start campaigning for 2019 presidency, adding that politicians can only mend fences now ahead of the next general election.

His words: “2019 as far am concerned is still far, even though the INEC has started reminding us of it. Those of us, who have been in this game for some time now, realize that everything has time. This is not the time to start campaigning.

“This time, if you like, you can make consultations with friends to discuss issues, mend fences and so on.

“I think that can be done now, but to go into campaigns and so on, I don’t believe this is the time to do that.”

“What we have now, for whatever reason, unfortunately, our parties are being weakened and they cannot function well. Our parties, especially the APC, are not doing well. APC is not supported, meaning it’s not well funded and there is need for that.

“All of us who are elected should make their own contributions according to the party’s rules and regulations and all other sources of funding must be exploited by the party itself. We need to be more active.

“Up till now, I can’t remember when we had a very serious meeting and by that, of course means you allow individuals, groups, youths, elders, to take over the position of the party.

“Also, on the side of the opposition, for whatever reason, is divided, is in court for many times.

“They have irreconcilable differences and all these things will not help the opposition because we need an opposition party. We need challenges, otherwise, everybody will go to bed and sleep.”

Kwankwaso also debunked insinuations that the founders of APC had abandoned the party.

He said: “And even the issue of political party. For me, our party is good. They have been very supportive of me, in person, to our group in Kano, and across the country.

“So, we have no reason whatsoever to leave APC. APC is a coalition of so many friends that sat down and of course formed the party. And what the party needs now is our support so that it can be stronger and it can be useful to us and to the country.

“You see, it is very easy for people who are what we used to call ‘Abuja politicians’, to be jumping from point A to point B.

“We left PDP because it was necessary and other circumstances, to save our future and to save the country. And you could see that immediately after the election, there was contentment, there was happiness. Naira appreciated, even electricity supply improved. Now, we don’t have any reason to say we are abandoning APC. If we leave APC now, where do we go?”

The ex-governor denied that he was either on political exile or losing control of Kano State.

He said: “You cannot stop people from making their speculation. People, in the past even speculated I left APC, I was in party this and that.

“So many allegations and counter-allegations maybe because one is being quiet. The idea of being quiet is to allow the state government, the local governments, government at any level to do whatever they feel should be done to better the lives of our people.

“At such level also, especially when everybody is quiet like this, the press will have to sell their papers. Somebody will concur story and say this is the position and you can’t stop that. The only thing is that they should be done within the limits of the law.

“I want to assure you that I have more supporters today in my constituency in the central than ever, and so also in Kano itself. We are growing from strength to strength, not only in the state but also Northern Nigeria.

“Whatever you think about dividends of democracy, people are very happy about what we are doing. And let me also take this opportunity to correct the general belief that buying machines, buying this and that to give to the people in the constituency is the only dividend of democracy, I don’t think that is correct.

“But even then we’re doing our best in terms of our Foundation, Kwankwasiya Foundation, and our people are very happy. Everybody in the constituency understands that what we’re adoring is the best, and we will continue to do it. And if we have any reason to do otherwise, I will let you know.”

By Chijioke Jannah

2019: Only God Can Tell If Buhari Will Run - Kwankwaso

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (APC, Kano Central), has said that only God will determine if President Muhammadu Buhari will contest a second term in 2019.

Speaking to select journalists in Abuja yesterday, the former Kano State Governor, insisted that despite Buhari’s health challenges, he could still seek re-election.

He said: “If he is going for second time, there is no problem because (the fact that) somebody is in the hospital doesn’t mean somebody who is outside is healthier than him. It is the decision of Allah and nobody can fault it.”

On whether the National Assembly had powers to introduce new projects in budget, Kwankwaso made it clear that the document must be scrutinized.

“The National Assembly is not a photocopier. It needs to look at the figure and issues. If you take the constituencies of the entire senators, they are equal to that of the president and if you look at the entire federal constituencies of Reps, they are equal to that of the president.

“So, executive, legislature and even the judiciary must be together in the interest of the country,” he said.

By Ifreke Inyang

Kwankwaso Opens Up On Raid of Brother's House, Says APC is Humiliating Him

Former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on Thursday condemned the search of his brother’s house in Kano by the police.

He lamented that the All Progressives Congress, APC, he worked hard to install was humiliating him and his family.

The police reportedly raided the apartment in search of huge cash, arms and documents.

But Kwankwaso told the Hausa Service of the BBC that he was shocked over the development.

His words: “We woke up with a distressing situation that some people besieged the house of my brother in Kano for hours; on the allegation that cash and weapons were ferried to the building.

“They bundled the guardsman, threatening him to show them the vehicles and other valuables that were allegedly concealed in a garage within the house.

“The guardsman told them only rabbits were kept there but they forced their way in and that was it, only the rabbits were seen joyfully feasting on spinach.

“Not satisfied, the police ransacked everywhere, including the vehicles in the compound but could not trace anything incriminating. This is very sad and a serious setback for our democracy,” Kwankwaso said.

“We’re very disappointed that impunity is now the order of the day in a country we invested a lot to bring change; this is not the change we bargained for because we’re now in a helpless situation.

“If it were the previous government that’s doing this, we would not complain. Alas! this is being orchestrated by a government we worked to entrench.

“I’m one person that never allowed my immediate or extended family to be part of government while I was a governor; my brother is a retired teacher but look at what they did to him,” Kwankwaso said.

Asked if he regretted joining the APC, he said, “I would say my mind at the appropriate time but government must be mindful of its actions.”

By Wale Odunsi