Ganduje Fires At Kwankwaso: “He Was Once My Political Boy

According to Ireporter Online, the immediate past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has responded strongly to remarks made by former presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, over claims regarding their political relationships and trajectories.

Kwankwaso, while speaking to supporters at his Miller Road residence in Kano on Wednesday, had insisted that several prominent politicians who once rose through his political structure could not deny their past allegiance to him. He specifically referenced Ganduje, suggesting that the former Kano governor was once part of his political camp and questioning any attempt to dispute that history.

In a swift reaction, Ganduje, through a statement issued on Friday by his Chief of Staff, Muhammad Garba, while he is currently in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage, dismissed the claim and insisted that Kwankwaso himself benefited politically from his support at various stages of his career. He maintained that politics is driven by mentorship and alliances, noting that he played a key role in Kwankwaso’s early political rise, including his emergence as a federal lawmaker and later Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Ganduje further recalled the 1998 political developments in Kano, stating that although he had won the governorship primary at the time, he stepped down in the interest of unity and later served as Kwankwaso’s deputy. He urged political actors to avoid the use of labels such as “godfather” and “political son,” stressing the need for mutual respect, unity, and focus on governance rather than personal rivalries. He also extended the call for civility to discussions around Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, noting that despite past political associations, respect should be accorded to elected office holders for the sake of peace and development in Kano State.