Crack in Kano APC causes uproar in Senate

The dirty fight between the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje and his former boss, Rabiu Kwankawso, on Wednesday, took centre stage on the floor of the upper legislative chamber.

The issue which came as a point of order, did not end without an uproar on the floor of the Senate.

Senator Isah Hamman Misau from Bauchi State, stirred the hornet’s net, when he condemned the alleged display of dangerous weapons by youths and women in Kano State on Tuesday.

He called on his colleagues to condemn the practice, where a serving senator is being prevented from visiting his constituency. He said if the practice is allowed to fester, it will become a practice.

“I want to talk about what is happening in Kano. About seventy per cent of the people in my place share boundaries with Kano. The thuggery we have seen in Kano State is troubling. We need to talk of how Boko Haram started in the North East. It started as Ecomog,” Misau said.

Speaking further, he added: “This issue happened when one of our colleagues said he was going to visit Kano State. Instead of him to be allowed to visit and talk to his people, the police stopped him. If a senator is not allowed to visit his constituency, one day, it will be anybody’s turn.

“If you see the kind of weapons people paraded yesterday in Kano was troubling. We are watching. I see no reason why a person who wants to travel to his own town will not be allowed. For the first time in the history of this country, women were given arms in Kano on Tuesday.

“If we do not do anything about this, we will be in trouble. How do we give our own people arms? We need to investigate what is happening in Kano State to avoid a national crises.

“We need to condemn what happened in Kano. We need to investigate arms that were given to people in Kano.”

A senator from Kano State, Kabiru Gaya, punctured Misau’s position. He said contrary to a bad picture painted by Misau, there was no breakdown of laws and order in his state.

He said the politics in Kano State is peculiar and must be handled with care. He also described the volatility of the politics and the state and described the face-off between the two governors as a “family affair.”

He said: “Let me clearly say that we are peace loving people in Kano State. Kano politics has always been different. Kano has always been a volatile state during politics. The rally we had in Kano, there was no case of any fight.

“Nobody was killed. Let us understand. The issue of the two governors must be understood. They are both governors. This is a family matter and we are working to reconcile both of them.

Another Kano lawmaker, Barau Jibrin, slammed Misau for bringing the issue to the floor of the Senate. He warned his colleagues to restrict themselves to issues happening in their states, instead of delving into areas that do not directly affect them.

He accused Misau of misleading the Senate, by claiming that Kano State may be thrown into chaos. He claimed that Misau was currently in a running battle with his state governor in Bauchi State and urged him to face his problem.

“I am worried here. A trend is now emerging and we tend to create troubles among ourselves. What Misau has started will not go well with this Senate. The Senate President must stop it. This is a family matter, but Misau is bringing it here for discussion.

“We are all politicians. There are bound to be disagreements. But bringing this backyard squabbles to the Senate is troubling. Mr. President, you need to stop this. Misau has problems with his governor and I have not brought it here. Misau is being used by some people to blackmail us in Kano State.”

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Attempts by Misau to respond, was frustrated by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who declined to entertain his protest.

The man at the centre of the crisis, Kwankwaso, who spoke briefly, said as a leader, he cannot dwell on the matter. “I believe as a leader, I do not want to say anything,” he said.

Saraki, in his comments, begged his colleagues not to bring personal problems with state actors to the floor of the Senate. He said lawmakers need to agree at what point certain issues will be entertained in the upper legislative chamber.

“This is a matter that can be addressed at the state level. There is still a room for reconciliation. There is going to be a trend when politics will creep in here. We need to try and manage this issue. Many states have these challenges.

“We need to agree at what point this issue should come to the floor of the Senate. Let us rise above these issues before we bring them here. We need to set up a committee to begin to look at these issues,” he said.

In closing, Saraki told the Senate committee chairman on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim to summon the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris and ensure that adequate security is provided whenever Kwankwaso decides to visit his constituency in Kano State

“They must provide security at anytime Senator Kwankwaso wants to visit Kano State,” Saraki said as he concluded the issue.

Meanwhile, Kabiru Marafa, has raised the alarm over alleged threats of his life. He accused the Governor of his state, Abdulaziz Yari, of being behind the plot to harm him and his family.

He called on his colleagues to hold his state governor responsible if anything should happen to him. He said his life and that of his family members were no longer safe.

Saraki, while responding, bemoaned the nation’s security. He said the country’s architecture appears to have collapsed and called on leaders to rise up.
By Ehisuan Odia…

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