The Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has declared that his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will not win election even in his own village in 2019, not to talk of defeating President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ganduje said this in reaction to Kwankwaso’s claim that he can defeat President Buhari should the Peoples Democratic Party give him its presidential ticket in 2019.
The governor said Kwankwaso’s political structure has been squarely dismantled in Kano so much that he has lost grip of the realities of the state’s politics.
In a statement signed by the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, and made available to journalists on Sunday, Ganduje described Kwankwaso as “a political fugitive who does not have the platform, the intellectual capability and mental ability to manage the affairs of Nigeria”.
The statement added: “Senator Kwankwaso’s latest utterances have confirmed the fact that he is now a confused politician who is grabbing every opportunity to relaunch himself back to relevance.
“For over three years, he has been sleeping at the Senate without sponsoring even a bill that will positively impact on the lives of Nigerians. This is a clear indication that he has nothing to offer. He is just being boastful.
“For over three years, Kwankwaso has been at the Senate, he has not visited Kano Central, his senatorial district. He has not executed any tangible constituency project for his people.
“Since then, he has not been around and we have been here in Kano playing the game of politics the way it should be done. The good people of Kano are appreciating our modest achievements and they have expressed confidence in us.
“Senator Kwankwaso’s dream to get the PDP presidential ticket remains a tall one that can never see the light of the day because those he is going to meet there are familiar with his antics. They have not forgotten in a hurry, the role he played in destroying the same PDP.
“I am surprised that Kwankawso is now talking about people like Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, a man he persecuted and betrayed in many occasions. I am surprise he is talking about the PDP, a party he destroyed and betrayed many of the chieftains who are still there today to pay him back with his own coin.”
Ganduje insisted that Kwankwaso is no longer relevant in Kano politics, pointing out: “All his political structure has been completely dismantled. Those who know him will understand that he is overrating himself and can not be seen as a major contender in the 2019 presidential election. He is an usurper who wants power by all means. Here in Kano, the support for President Buhari and the APC is non-negotiable.”