The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has shared that the party may consider offering a political lifeline to former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Ganduje made this known during a media interaction held after a closed-door meeting with the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
According to Ganduje, Kwankwaso appears politically stranded and may be seeking refuge in the APC as a way to remain relevant in national politics. While not confirming any ongoing negotiations, Ganduje gave strong hints that the ruling party may consider embracing the former Kano governor for moral reasons.
He stated: “When a fish is running out of water, that’s exactly what is happening. If the water is drying, the fish has to find its way to water. So that is what is happening. I will not say we are not ready to welcome him.”
Continuing, he added, “When you see your son running to where he would get shelter and you are a big brother in a big home, I think it is morally right to accommodate him.”
Ganduje also noted that rejecting someone in a time of need goes against the values of true leadership. “Somebody who has been abandoned, we should not allow him to wallow in darkness,” he said.
However, the idea of Kwankwaso returning to APC has not been received positively by all within the party, particularly among Kano APC members. Minister Yusuf Ata openly expressed his displeasure, warning that such a move could cause serious problems within the Kano chapter of the APC.
Ata noted, “Kwankwaso is no longer relevant in Kano. He is only coming to APC, not that we invited him. Because he is going to die politically.”
He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully aware of the political mood in Kano and has received detailed grassroots security reports. According to Ata, Kwankwaso’s influence in the region has greatly declined, evidenced by the absence of his trademark red caps among supporters.
“Anybody who visits Kano State even today will see that there are a lot of changes. It is hard for you to find red caps in Kano,” he said.
Despite Ganduje’s open-minded approach, Ata made it clear that Kwankwaso’s return to the APC would not be welcomed unless it came directly from the party’s national leadership. “Unless the National Chairman, who is the leader of the party in Kano, takes a decision to accept him, Kwankwaso stands rejected,” he declared.
When asked why he would oppose Kwankwaso joining the party, Ata responded: “Personally, I won’t be happy. Unless it is a decision from our father (Ganduje) to accommodate him.”
