All may not be well with the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria. This is as information indicate Kano maybe caught in a latent turmoil within the ruling party, the NNPP (New Nigeria Peoples Party). Centered between the followers of the state Governor, Yusuf Abba and the leader of the Kwankwasiya movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Available Information revealed glimpses of discord between the political godson and the godfather over the conduct of local government area elections.
On the first level, Governor Yusuf Abba is reportedly disturbed by the overbearing actions of leader of the Kwankwasiya movement over undue intrusion into the affairs of the party and that of the State.
Particularly, in the build-up to the LGA election, the leader of the Kwankwaso reportedly commandeered the process of nomination and/or selection of would-be candidates for the entire available elective posts that comprised of all the positions at LGA and councillorship levels.
Rabiu Kwankwaso who had opted to adopt the process of selecting consensus candidates to determine persons that will participate as candidate in the council election, acted to discard the names of nominees provided to him by the Governor. “The Governor’s people did not make the list. Not even one person. Kwankwaso removed all of them and placed his own people,“ lamented a source who spoke to 247ureports.com. The source explained that both Kwankwaso and the Governor had turned the governance in Kano to a family affair. Only persons known to Kwankwaso are allowed to participate in the governance of Kano State at any level. Because of this, “only persons known to Kwankwaso are given positions and/or jobs, regardless of how much the person had contributed or sacrificed for the party.”
The fallout from the removal of Governor Yusuf Abba’s list of nominees by Kwankwaso appear to have caused the political followers of Governor Yusuf Abba to mount pressure on the Governor to return their names to the lists of would-be candidates. Unsure of how to achieve such a fete against a political godfather that he “fears so much”, the Governor opted to escape Kano for a while on an unscheduled trip to Abuja.
Our source highlights instance where special offices are created for persons in order to accommodate them. Persons, the source claims had not contributed to the NNPP and previously unknown to the NNPP. The source cites Shema Maigida Kachako and Wasila – adding that the office of “senior special reporters” [SSR] was create “just to give them position in the government”. The source continues to add that there are many one cases.. “There were not members of NNPP. They joined after the NNPP won. Now they are very powerful.”
Both Habiba Baura and Hajiya Miriam Jankume were cited as newcomers to the party who became powerful and influential. Habiba Baura who is in charge of the domestic affairs at the government house is said to have an impress account of N40million monthly for provision of food to government house. Hajiya Miriam Jankume is a film actress who was given the post of SSA rural development. He is said to be “very powerful”. All her proposals are approved without delay. “Maximum, one day delay.”
Meanwhile, the culture of nepotism continues to eat deep into the Abba administration. The majority of the staff recently employed at the Kano State government are relatives of either Governor Yusuf Abba or Rabiu Kwankwaso. Below are some of the positions occupied by relatives of the Governor and Kwankwaso:
- Ahmed Abba Yusuf – he is the executive secretary tourism Kano – he is a direct blood brother to the Governor
- Hauwa Mohammed – he is Special Assistant Woman Affairs – she is a direct blood sister to Governor’s father [Governor’s Aunty]
- Mukhtar Yusuf “Dan Makwai” – he is Special Assistant Waterboard – he is the Governor’s father
- Murtala Kabiru Yusuf – he is special assistant Government House – he is a direct blood brother to the Governor
- Ahmed Aminu Yusuf – he is special assistant Domestic – he is a direct blood cousin to the Governor
- Hassan Kabiru Yusuf – he is personal assistant photographer – he is the adopted son the governor’s father. A half-brother. He is said to be very influential.
- Engr Muktari Yerima – he is a house of representative member – he is married to Kwankwaso’s daughter. He is said to not be active politically but was made a lawmaker through his marriage to Kwankwaso’s daughter
- Yahaya Musa Kwankwaso – he is the deputy chief protocol – he is a direct blood brother to Kwankwaso
The above list continues from a previous list published earlier by 247ureports.com. Click on the link to open the report: How Gov. Yusuf Runs Kano Affairs As Family Business, As Ex- Gov Kwankwaso’s Wife Becomes New Power Broker
The above report complies the list below:
- State Universal Basic Education Board [SUBEB]– The Chairman of SUBEB, Yusuf Kabir Gaya, is the direct blood brother to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. They share the same father. He is the younger brother of the Governor.
- Kano Road Transport Agency [KAROTA]– The Managing Director [MD], Engr. Faisal Mahmud Kabir, is a son to Governor Abba Yusuf’s elder sister.
- Pilgrims Welfare Board— The Director General [DG] is Laminu Rabiu Danbaffa, whose wife is a blood sister to Musa Kwankwaso’s wife. They are of the same father & mother.
- Kano State Road Maintenance Agency [KARMA]– The Managing Director [MD] is Hassan Danffa, whose wife is also the blood sister to Kwankwaso’s wife. They share the same father and mother.
- SA Protocol– Yahaya Musa Kwankwaso is the SA protocol. He is Kwankwaso’s brother. They share the same father. He is the Village Head of Kwankwaso town.
- SA Emirate– The SA Emirate is Waleed Abbas, whose wife is the daughter to the elder sister of Kwankwaso’s wife. That is, the daughter of the DG Pilgrims Board (mentioned in number 3 above).
- Ministry of Environment– Commissioner for Environment is Hon. Nasiru Sule Garo, who is the brother of Musa Kwankwaso’s wife. They share the same father and mother. He worked as a Special Assistant to Gov. Kwankwaso between 2002 and 2003.
- Ministry of Youths and Sports– The Commissioner of Youths and Sports is Mustafa Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is the eldest son of Musa Kwankwaso.
- Pilgrims Welfare Board– The Chairman of the Pilgrims Welfare Board Board is Yusuf Lawan, who is the father to the wife of Kwankwaso son [Mustafa] (mentioned in number 8 above)
- State History and Culture Bureau— The Executive Secretary of the State History and Culture Bureau is Ahmad A. Yusuf, who is a nephew of Governor Abba Yusuf.
- State Assembly— The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly is the Rt. Hon. Jibril Ismail Falgore, who is an uncle to Kwankwaso’s wife (a brother to the mother of Kwankwaso’s wife). They are of the same mother and father; and many other such appointments revolving around family circles.
Even the position of Accountant General, occupied by Abdulqadir Abdulsalam, was allegedly filled under the instruction of Kwankwaso’s wife and sister.
