Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has urged members of the party in Kano State against undermining the authority of the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, stressing that the APC cannot afford a crisis in the state.
The APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, made the call when he addressed APC stakeholders from Kano State, who petitioned the national leadership of the party over the role of ex-Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso in the crisis.
The former governor and his successor, Ganduje, have been locked in a political battle of supremacy, a development that led to the removal of the majority leader of the state House of Assembly, suspension of the state chairman and state organizing secretary of the party as well as other members loyal to Kwankwaso.
Mr. Odigie-Oyegun, who appealed to all the factions to ensure that the status quo ante remained in the state, stressed that the governor needs the loyalty of all stakeholders, irrespective of their positions.
The party chair, who warned that the greatest disservice the party would do to itself is to start having internal crisis, especially in a volatile state like Kano, disclosed that the NWC had inaugurated a three-man committee headed by the deputy national chairman for the North to look into the matter.
He said: “We have raised a team that is working to restore unity among the two personalities involved. So, the party has a team of three members already actively engaged and that team is led by a deputy national chairman, the national secretary and the national organizing secretary. I am also aware that the governors have also waded into the matter. Also, I know that most traditional rulers in Kano state have also waded into the issue.
“It is a situation that we must not as a party allow to blossom. We must nip it in the bud because it is the most unnecessary distraction causing problems in a state as sensitive as Kano. So it is in all our interests to ensure that there would be no problem between two of our national interests in Kano. We must make sure that it does not go any further; it is an internal matter between two brothers.
“And the solution is very much clear that we must restore the status quo and operate within the party’s constitution for peace to return to the state. So all our efforts are geared towards that and I want to appeal to you to ensure that the situation ante is maintained”.
“The governor in not in any contest, his authority must be upheld, there is no doubt about that. The governor is not on trial, so it is important that we give him the atmosphere that would be necessary for him to cover successfully especially in this period when the country is facing the financial challenges that is no cause of theirs. You must all key in behind the governor to make sure that he succeeds. So, none of us must do anything to undermine him to worsen the situation in Kano”, Oyegun pleaded.
