Alhaji AbdulMajid Danbiliki Kwamanda is a house-hold name in Kano politics. A close associate of ex-Presidnent Muhamandu Buhari, the All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain was one of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign coordinators in northern Nigeria. In this interview with MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH, he expressed displeasure over the ongoing demolition of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s projects by his successor, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf who he said was acting the scripts of his inlaw and political godfather, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, National Leader and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) during the 2023 presidential election. He said Kwankwaso should be held responsible if Kano boils, and advised President Tinubu to be wary of Kwankwaso and his political antics.
Excerpts:
How do you about the ongoing demolition of structures of the immediate-past administration by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf government?
In the first place, what is happening in NNPP government pertaining the demolition of buildings is very pathetic. They have refused to listen to the advise of elders who have condemned the senseless demolition and destruction of Kano’s economy. They have the penchant for disrespecting elders. They are not prepared to develop Kano, rather, they are all-out to destroy our dear state. They are clearly telling investors that they are not needed in Kano, because no sensible investor, both local and international will be pleased to do business with a government that destroys the economy. You can imagine what the demolition has caused. It has taken a number of human lives. It has caused our youths to become thieves and scavengers. Our youths have resorted to breaking and burgling into people’s shops, steal their goods and other valuables. This demolition of people’s business and residential areas is first in history in Kano; and it is capable of instigating social unrest. No indigene of Kano has witnessed or experienced such man’s inhumanity to man since our return to democracy. These atrocities of the NNPP-led administration against the people of Kano is happening in less than two weeks of their swearing in. Those who voted for them are now regretting. This is a political disaster. Therefore, their aim is to bring poverty, because when you demolishing People’s source of livelihood, you are reducing them to lazy people and beggars. The society will become vulnerable to all sorts of crimes. This is the matter of wasting the resources of our dear state and the issue they are portraying that there is a cross sign on those structures is very laughable. This is to tell you that the government is confused . In fact, among them who have the indepth knowledge of Islam to even know that there is a cross on those structures. Those that constructed those structures are far better than them in all ramifications both knowledge, education and high Intelligence Quotent and understanding.
Don’t you think the reasons of insecurity and christian cross are enough to demolish the Golden Jubilee Tower?
Also, it is baseless for them to claim that they demolished the historic Golden Jubilee Tower at Government House roundabout for security reasons. It is just a matter of humiliating the good people of Kano. They are intimidated by the good work of His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Kano state. But nevertheless, the demolished roundabout was not the only work Ganduje has done to Kano people. Ganduje has also erected many flyovers, therefore, they should also demolish those flyovers. They political enemies of Kano. They don’t want see Kano development. That roundabout structure was a sign of Kano State reaching the golden jubilee and put trumpet at the top of the roundabout because that was the first historic emirate in Kano. Every well meaning indigene of Kano knows that they are only witch-hunting. It is the government that is directionless . They don’t have a plan to govern and develop Kano. After 90 days, they will come back and tell us these are the damages we have done to Kano because they are not developing the state. Kano indigenes have counted loss worth billions of Naira under this cruel government of NNPP. Discernable Nigerians watching the extent of damage. They are condemning it. The people of Kano is to waiting for the right time. It is quite a pity that the government has not come with any agenda, plan, vision and manifesto. The NNPP government is clearly Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso’s third term. He is the Alfa and Omega of the government. He is using it as an instrument to crush and destroy his political enemies.
How is the government Kwankwaso’s third-term?
Every reasonable person, including you, will agree with me that this NNPP government is not different from Kwankwaso’s third term. From every angle you look at it, Kwankwaso is the Governor de facto. The day to day activities of the government is being ran directly from his bedroom. Abba Kabir Yusuf is a shadow Governor. Go and check. We have one Governor that only moves around with siren, and the main Governor that takes every single decision. The second one was not elected by the people, but he is running the show. Therefore, I am 100% sure that we are in the third term of kwankwaso since the Governor Yusuf government cannot do anything on itself, unless what Rabi’u Kwankwaso instructed them to do because the governor is a figure head. And kwankwaso is the person who does not want the development of Kano state under someone’s watch. Because he is politically disturbed that former Governor Ganduje’s developmental projects overshadowed him, therefore, he is finding the ways to destroy and demolish any project carried out by the administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje which he can never do.
Are you not threatened by Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso’s political romance with President Tinubu?
I feel bad about it because I know that Kwankwaso will finally betray Tinubu in whatever deal they are trying to strike. How can President Tinubu dine with a selfish and dangerous politician like Kwankwaso without using a very long spoon. President Tinubu should be wary of Kwankwaso. He is not being fair to people like us who worked for him here in the North. Tinubu has not done well for his supporters and the APC in Kano. He has not done justice to APC members in Kano ; and we will be very unhappy to see the political enemy our party dining and winning with President Tinubu. We know what he told his supporters against Tinubu in Kano. We know the campaign of calumnly he is launching against President Tinubu in the North. He even made assertion that Mr. President cannot stand long without napkin and can not stand well. So if you see and recall all those statements, there is no single member of APC in kano that will be happy with his action if he (Tinubu) offers an appointment of Minister to Kwankwaso. We made the assertion that his political career has come to an end in this 2023. And if President Tinubu eventually appoint Kwankwaso Minister, he will be hurting the feelings of Kano people. He will loose majority of his supporters and his popularity will diminish or fade away in the eyes of Kano people. What I want to remind President Tinubu is that the candidature of kwankwaso did not stop us from winning in his strongest camp or state during the recently concluded election, even though INEC compromised. What does President Tinubu want or is looking from Kwankwaso that he would want to offer him a ministerial appointment, despite the struggle we have had and undergone in order to achieve this success. Is this the way he will pay us back, certainly we don’t hope so. Is Tinubu trying to tell us kwankwaso is more important than us with all the struggle we underwent. If Tinubu do this, it will be the greatest mistake he will do. But nevertheless, we will show him we are the once that own the supporters and Kano politically. We will resist the action. But if he insist to do that, we are politicians, we know how to count our eggs by ourselves in Kano, Northwest and the North at large.
Kwankwaso has been described by many as the pillar and political godfather of Kano. What is your take on this notion?
Forget about those who are saying that. It is totally untrue. There’s one saying in Hausa ” hangen Dala ba shiga birni ba” meaning that sighting the Dala Hills from a distance does not mean you enter the city of Kano. They don’t know the politics that is taking place in Kano. He brought the candidate and win the election not because he is capable of doing that, but rather because of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje created the loophole for them to manipulate the election. And now, the only person that kwankwaso is scared of is the Deputy Senate President, Distinguish Senator. Barau I Jibrin. The reason is that Senator Barau overshadowed political history and popularity of every politician in Kano state. Even the next election is going to take place, our leader, Senator Barau I Jibrin will definitely defeat Kwakwanso and his NNPP. In the first place, who is Kwankwaso? Our failure was from former Governor Ganduje. Like I said earlier, he did not help the party and its followers. And all the number of votes that we got in Kano state, is because of our efforts and our work not because of APC has government in the state.
People like Senator Barau Jibrin, Alhaji A A zaura, and then people like me were the ones who campaigned and stayed strongly behind APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We appreciated and worked for Tinubu because of his track record of the way he developed Lagos. We know that he means well for Nigeria. So, they should not be mistakingly it that Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is pillar or political godfather in Kano. No, no, it is not like that, but he is a political dictator, and a person who does not want to see anybody grow politically unless him. He does not want anyone to reach his political level. And surprisingly, you will see how Senator Barau Jibrin will tarnish and diminish the politics of Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso in Kano soon.
Who do you think is behind Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s demolition policy?
You need not to ask me this question. All these demolition that is taking place in Kano is the brain child of Kwankwaso. He is the one directing it. I told you that Abba Kabir Yusuf is simply playing the script of Kwankwaso who is the Governor de fcato.. Let me remind you that the Kano populace is not happy with Kwankwaso. there was a time Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso said “even if there are more than 10 story buildings at the Eid ground, he will clamp down on it,” and all structures build illegally on government own properties they will also do the same, this are the ideology of kwankwaso because his main intention is to bring down businessmen in Kano. We are counting losses, we are suffering, all this are the plans and manifesto of Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and now that he has the government and using the governor, but everyone knows that the Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has no agenda of demolishing structures he is sympathetic. But Kwankwaso is using the Governor to achieve his agenda of destroying Kano and the governor is following his instructions blindly and Nigerians should note that Kwankwaso is behind all the actions of the Governor Yusuf. He( kwankwaso) once said that he demolish all erected structures constructed by Ganduje. Even if they say Ganduje has constructed illegal structures in Kano. There were some that were built legally, those built legally should be allowed to exist and those build illegally should be demolished. let us take the Daula Hotel, Edil field prayer ground, roundabout and the shops in kofar Mata stadium east and west were demolished and varieties of places were also demolished like the Race Course field. As they use to say those properties belonging to Ganduje’s son daughter, siblings and allies. This is not true. We all are here in Kano. Those structures belongs to businessmen,. And now, those structures were demolished without notice, nothing nothing, and without following the right procedures. This political thuggery. It has never happened in Kano . But now, Rabi’u Kwankwaso has brought it to Kano. I absolutely believe Kwankwaso is the backbone to all these unpopular policies. He is the one behind this demolition that is taking place in Kano.