Peace is gradually returning to Oyo State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), as the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the state, wade into the disagreement between two prominent chieftains of the party in the state, Majority Leader and member representing Tudun Wada/Doguwa federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and the APC deputy governorship candidate, Murtala Sule Garo. Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan, examines developments within the party after the truce.
THE Majority Leader who is also the member representing Tudun Wada/Doguwa federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and the deputy governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, have agreed to put an end to the misunderstanding between them and work for the victory of the ruling party during the next general elections in the state. The erstwhile warring APC chieftains made these pleas after being reconciled by party leaders.
The Nation gathered that there is great rejoicing within the party in Kano State following the end of the feud that threatened to disturb the peace of the ruling party across the state and also affect its chances at the polls, especially in Tudun Wada/Doguwa federal constituency of the state. The face-off between the two politicians had escalated, causing concerns for party leaders and other stakeholders ahead of the 2023 general elections. So disturbing was the face-off that any groups and individuals had urged urgent intervention in the feud before now.
Speaking on the crisis last week, Doguwa had raised alarm that the internal crisis rocking the APC in Kano may affect the success of the party at the 2023 poll. The federal lawmaker lamented that since Governor Abdullahi Ganduje dedicated himself to the party’s 2023 presidential campaign, the Kano APC party structure has been left in the hands of people who are frustrating loyal members. “I want to say today without any fear of contraction; without any fear of intimidation; without any fear of any quarter or any authority anywhere that there is fire on the mountain as far as the APC is concerned in Kano State. There is fire on the mountain. I repeat, there is fire on the mountain.
“This is the right time to say it because we have been going through a silent crisis, especially in the area of party administration and politicking with a lot of intrigue and exclusion of members. Management and administration of the party are being done exclusively by a few members of the party who is, by all standing, not supposed to handle what they are handling in the APC. I want to say for the purpose of clarification that I am talking about party politics in Kano; in our party, the APC,” Doguwa said while questioning the loyalty of Murtala Garo, the APC deputy governorship candidate in the state.
Ado-Doguwa got the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) unopposed to contest in the 2023 general elections. He was a member of the House in the defunct Third Republic, and returned to the parliament in the current Fourth Republic, will be seeking reelection for the seventh term. He is arguably the most ranking member of the House. In 1992, he was elected to the House where he made history by becoming the first Nigerian to be sworn in as a member immediately after completing his national youth service.
Garo was the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs in the current administration. He is well known to most people across the length and breadth of the state across the 44 local government areas of the state. Murtala is a grassroots politician that is loved by the political class in the state. He is a highly regarded member of the Ganduje political family. He indicated interest in the APC governorship ticket and was nominated as the running mate by the candidate after the primary election.
Renewed face-off
The crisis rocking the party had in the last couple of days heightened amidst reports of renewed exchanges between Doguwa and Sule Garo. Doguwa was accused of throwing a teacup at Garo during a stakeholders meeting at the residence of the state’s Deputy Governor and governorship candidate of APC, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, reportedly injuring the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. The Majority Leader however denied the allegations and vowed to continue fighting Garo to the end.
“I hold both Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and Murtala Sule Garo in high esteem and I always hope to see them becoming the Governor and Deputy Governor of our dear State. It is on records that there was nowhere I ever disrespected Sule Garo or called him names, but on several occasions, he has made a habit of plotting my downfalls, not once, not twice, as has been shown recently when our party’s presidential candidate, Senator Ahmad Bola Tinubu came to Kano,” Doguwa, who addressed the press to clear the air on the allegations, said.
Speaking further, he added that “When Tinubu prepared to come to Kano I fixed billboards, about ten at strategic locations, welcoming him, but on the night I put up the boards, some hoodlums went berserk in the names of Garo destroying everything. Despite that, I didn’t confront him or talk to him about it.” Concerning reports that he attacked Sule Garo during a meeting of the APC, he discarded it as “nothing but misleading and concocted blackmail” against him because there was nothing like that.
“What happened was that I called the party chairman wanting to see him, and he asked me to go to Gawuna House where they are meeting. Upon arrival at the place in my Sardauna Rano regalia, I went straight to the room where they were and spoke to the party chairman. However, as usual, Murtala Sule Garo, in an insulting manner, asked me to leave. Even after I told him I was there to see the Chairman, he continued insulting me until I was provoked to respond,” he explained.
Garo, he claimed had rushed to hit him and in the process fell over a table with a cup of tea and wounded himself. “I did not in any way attack him as is being reported,” he said. Sources said clashes between supporters of the two politicians were already being noticed in some parts of the state. A leader of the party in the state on Monday warned that unless the rift between the two prominent APC chieftains is resolved immediately, the party may have itself to blame as political campaigns progresses across the state. “They are both worthy and prominent leaders of our party. We cannot afford to have them attacking one another,” he said.
Peace returns
But in another statement on Tuesday, Doguwa said the crisis rocking the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), in Kano State has been resolved as Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje waded into the matter. The Nation also gathered that an earlier intervention into the issue by Asiwaju Tinubu made the peaceful reconciliation seamless. According to reports, the APC presidential candidate had earlier met with Doguwa in Abuja and prevailed on him to sheath his swords in the interest of the party.
It was gathered that following concerns being expressed over the matter, Governor Ganduje finally convened a peace meeting between the two warring chieftains. at the meeting, the need for peace was discussed and both politician resolved to bury their differences and work in harmony ahead of the general elections in the interest of the APC. Arising from the marathon reconciliation meeting, Doguwa happily announced that, “His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, has reconciled Murtala Sule Garo, and I.
“The meeting was attended by Nasiru Aliko Koki and the state APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, and the meeting started 11pm on Monday up to 4am of today. We reviewed the crisis and apologized to each other. The governor told us kind words. He showed each of us where we are wrong. He offered advices and said he considers us as his two sons. I have put the matter behind me and I now want to forged ahead to continue commitment towards the success of APC in Kano and the country. We have resolved to bury the hatchet, and I will continue my support to the success of APC in 2023. I will continue to support Gawuna/Garo, Tinubu/Shettima and APC at all level in 2023.”
Doguwa added that he has forgiven Garo and all other party members and supporters that offended him, calling on them to forgive him too. He also asked for forgiveness from Kano people and supporters of APC in Kano for causing disaffection in the party. Efforts to get Garo to comment on the development proved abortive as he could not be reached. But sources within the party said the deputy governorship candidate is happy that the disagreements between him and Doguwa have been resolved.
“Garo is a peace loving politician who sees Doguwa as a brother. He is happy with the reconciliation and he is ready to work with all and sundry to ensure the victory of the party at the elections. Above all, we are happy as a party that the crisis is finally over,” our source said.
Battle ready
Following the reconciliation of the disagreements between its leading chieftains ahead of the next general election, the ruling party in Kano State says it is now ready to win at the polls in spite of spirited challenges from both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso-led New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). According to leaders and chieftains of the ruling party, there is no alternative to the APC in Kano.
Speaking recently on the readiness of the party for the polls, Senator Kabiru Gaya assured reporters that the ruling APC will win Kano in the 2023 general elections. Gaya, the incumbent Senator representing Kano South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, noted that neither the opposition PDP, nor Kwakwanso’s NNPP, will not be a threat to the victory of the ruling APC, as according to him, the ruling party remains the darling of the people of the state.
The former governor allayed fears that APC might lose Kano State due to some development. He assured that the party has been able to put its house in order ahead of the general elections. Speaking on the politics of the state, Gaya described NNPP as an offshoot of the opposition PDP, adding that Kano is strictly divided between the ruling APC and the split PDP. “In Kano, we have two political parties. The APC and the PDP. The PDP split into two with the Kwankwassiyya forming NNPP. We still have only APC and PDP in Kano. So I am optimistic APC will win Kano in 2023,” he boasted.
The Nation also gathered that following the reconciliation, the erstwhile gladiators have all returned to their various constituencies to instruct their supporters to sheath their swords and work together in pursuit of the victory of all candidates of the ruling party. This, according to reliable party sources, is in conformity with the directives of Governor Ganduje who made it clear to all parties in the conflict that he will not tolerate any act that threatens the victory of the party during the 2023 general elections.
“There is no crisis in Kano APC again. The governor has reconciled all the warring factions and we are happy about that. What we have now is a party that is ready to work together and win elections across the state come 2023. All fears have been laid to rest and this is good for the party,” Hon. Kabir Abbass, a chieftain of the ruling party and former House of Representatives aspirant, told our correspondent. Abbass, who recently returned to the APC from the opposition PDP, added that with the new found peace in the party, the APC is ready to win the next elections.
“We are pleased with the current situation and it is what we wanted all along. As one of those who raised alarm over the face -off between Doguwa and the deputy governorship candidate of our party, I am glad to tell you that the reconciliation initiated by our leader and father, Governor Ganduje is a genuine one. Already, we can feel the impact in the affected constituencies of the state. It is no longer true that our party is threatened ahead of the elections. We are not united to face the task ahead,” he added.