The political atmosphere in Kano State, one of the hotbeds of Nigerian politics has remained charged, as a result of the on-going political face-off between the incumbent governor, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, and his former boss, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
What is responsible for the charged political atmosphere which the state is currently experiencing was the resolve by the two leaders to go their separate ways in the forth-coming 2019 general election.
This implies that the political misunderstanding between the two leaders has gone beyond reconciliation and they have made up their minds to work against each another in future elections in the state.
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The implication of this development to the state is that the two leaders are going to deploy every means, including possible violence against each other`s camp, in an attempt to have upper hand in the state.
While Governor Ganduje has indicated interest to seek re-election as governor in 2019, under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his former boss, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is interested in contesting for the APC’s presidential ticket against President Muhammadu Buhari.
Although Ganduje seems not to be very popular in Kano politics, as a result of what some people in the state attributed chiefly to his alleged betrayal of his former boss, Kwankwaso, there are indications that he is now trying to leverage on the strong political support which President Buhari seems to still enjoy in the state, to further his re-election bid.
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Having resolved to move out of the Kwankwasiyya Political Group, Ganduje is now trying to build a political relationship with President Buhari, to leverage on his support to realise his own ambition.
Meanwhile, the political tension between supporters of the Incumbent Governor, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, and his former boss, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has continued to escalate in Kano State.
One of the dominant issues fueling the escalation of tension was the decision by Governor Ganduje to organise a Local Government Election in the 44 Local Government Areas of the state, in February next year, which was announced a week ago.
The decision to organise the Election is being viewed by most supporters of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as a strategic move by Governor Ganduje to put his men in power that will help him consolidate his hold on the political atmosphere of the state.
To prevent him from taking hold of the Councils, Kwankwaso`s supporters, who at the moment seem to be more in number in the state, have been mobilising intending to ensure the defeat of Ganduje’s men in the planned primary election.
Supporters of both Ganduje and Kwankwaso are at the moment involved in an intensive mobilisation for the primary election which is expected to hold before the end of the year, and there are indications that the crude method which they are deploying could lead to open violence in the coming days.
Already, there is apprehension among residents of the state as a result of the verbal confrontations going on among the supporters of the two political leaders, which could trigger the kind of violence that broke out between the two camps during the last Sallah celebration at the Emir`s Palace.
Adeola Ajakaiye, Kano
