President Bola Tinubu on Friday summoned former Governors of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Ganduje over the recent demolition of buildings in the State.
While Ganduje described the demolition carried out by Governor Abba Yusuf as “illegal”, Kwankwaso said the ongoing exercise is “legal” and in line with the law.
Both former Governors met with the President separately and briefed State House Correspondents on the outcome of their discussions.
Also Read: APC Condemns Demolition of Structures by Kano State Government
Former Governor Ganduje told the President that the demolition was executed without due process and, therefore, breached the law, calling the incumbent Governor a stooge of Kwankwaso. He said the demolition exercise was done without carrying out any investigation or giving due notice in line with the provisions of the Land Use Act.
Recall that Governor Yusuf in his inauguration speech on May 29, gave marching orders to security agencies in Kano State to immediately repossess all public properties believed to have been sold by the Ganduje administration. He alleged that they were illegally acquired and built by the Ganduje administration.
Some structures demolished in the recent exercise include the Haji Camp, Daula Hotel, and shopping complexes around the Eid Prayer Ground in Kano which were said to be products of Public-Private Partnership.
The former Governor said he came to brief the President about the security situation in Kano State, especially “the looting and vandalization that is going on in Kano. And we don’t want it to result into religious or tribal conflict. Thousands of traders have been rendered without any business”, he said.
Ganduje who served as Kwankwaso’s deputy from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015, blamed his former boss for directing the new administration under Governor Yusuf to carry out what he termed a vengeful campaign against the previous administration.
He lamented the fact that the shopping complex around the new Daula Hotel developed under a Public Private Partnership arrangement, approved by the State Executive Council, was demolished on the directive of Kwankwaso, without any investigation, without any notice, by Governor Yusuf’s administration.
“We appointed a technical committee right from the beginning. They submitted a report to the Executive Council. The Executive Council approved the PPP project. The PPP project is 90% executed, but now without any investigation, without any notice, this new government under the directive of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso demolished the building. The issue is in a court of law.”
Ganduje said he spoke at length on the issue while reporting the matter to President Tinubu and had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba with video evidence of the looting and vandalization that trailed the demolition.
He said he had briefed the President adequately on the demolition exercise that even affected the supporters of Kwankwaso whom he accused of ordering the action. He said the Governor whom he described as a “stooge” of Kwankwaso was no longer happy because of the condemnation that greeted the move.
Asked to give figures for properties lost to the demolition exercise, he said some human rights organizations were working on the level of damage. He, however, said one of the developers who was affected had sued the government demanding over N10 billion.
Although both men were in the Presidential Villa at the same period to see the President, Ganduje said they did not meet face to face.
When asked about the President’s response and if they had reconciled inside the Presidential Villa, Ganduje said “I know that he is in the building. But we did not meet inside. I would have slapped him if I met him inside.”
Kwankwaso, on his part in an interview with State House correspondents, claimed that most of the buildings demolished were illegally acquired by the Ganduje administration. He stated that his party had pledged to demolish such structures during their campaign.
Regarding speculations of accepting a ministerial position from the Tinubu administration, Kwankwaso revealed that talks were ongoing about the possibility. He, however, dismissed rumors of defecting to the ruling party, emphasizing that Tinubu was more focused on a government of national unity.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
