Kwankwaso boycotts Kano APC congress

From Ibrahim Sawab, Maiduguri

Encouraged by donation of a trailer of cement from journalists working in Borno State at the weekend, Governor Kashim Shettima has directed the stepping up of advocacy aimed at attracting the support of other segments of the Nigerian population towards rebuilding of communities in different parts of Borno State.

Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, who explained the steps to be taken, said part of the advocacy is to showcase the efforts being made by the state government to demonstrate its commitment while seeking the support of corporate bodies, associations and individuals who may want to partner in the rebuilding efforts.

Gusau said the Shettima administration is currently carrying out reconstruction work in 15 out 20 local government areas mostly affected by the insurgency.

“The destruction suffered by Borno is worth over six billion dollars which the state government certainly can’t afford but Governor Shettima also believes that the state cannot wait forever before it starts rebuilding. The governor feels that leaving communities isolated makes them vulnerable to attacks”, he said. From Yusha’u A. Ibrahim, Kano

Former Kano State governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, was absent at the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) congress, which held yesterday. However, the two other senators from the state, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya (Kano South) and Senator Barau Jibril (Kano North) attended the congress which was conducted at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium, amidst tight security.

Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, who had been running the affairs of the party in interim capacity, emerged as the substantive chairman.

Before the commencement of the election, a representative of the national leadership of the party, Prince Nwoko Orinze, said they were in the state to ensure that the election was conducted according to laid down rules. He said, “the congress was organised to fill the vacant seats”. On his part, the chairman, candidates’ screening committee, Muhammad Nadu Yahaya, said all those who participated in the exercise had the necessary requirements.

Yahaya said his committee strictly followed the guidelines set for screening candidates before it presented the names of contenders.

But the Umar Haruna Doguwa-led faction of the APC in the state rejected the congress, describing it as a “kangaroo exercise”.

Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, Doguwa said, “what the Abdullahi Abbas-led faction of the party did today (yesterday) was nothing but a kangaroo congress because the party’s national leadership did not give the go-ahead to anybody to conduct congress in the state.

“I am the one recognised as chairman of the APC in Kano by the national leadership and if the party decides to hold a congress in Kano, it will write to me and there was no directive to that effect. And, I can tell you that no state in the federation held congress today. A date will be fixed for the congress and a letter will be sent to all state chairmen to hold it,” he said.