Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, at the weekend, offered an insight into how his Deputy, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Governor Ganduje said experience on the job coupled with his vast political network gave Gawuna an edge over all other aspirants.
He gave the revelation on Sunday night in Abuja at the fundraising dinner organised for the APC governorship candidate held at the International Conference Centre.
The Kano State governor also noted that loyalty, continuity of projects, experience, education, acceptability and good human relations were attributes that endeared Gawuna to chieftains of the APC and ordinary party faithful which settled for him as against other contenders for the ticket.
He expressed confidence that his party would retain its grip on the North West state as he noted that no other party has a candidate with an enviable record in administration as the ruling party candidate.
He said: “Many contestants showed their interest for the post of governorship in Kano state but we needed to apply dialogue and consultations. I’m sure some of them are here. Some wanted to win through discussion, some were given alternatives, some have been begged to step down and most of them did.
“Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna was a two-time chairman of local government, ALGON chairman and he was a trusted commissioner of local government and I, myself, was a commissioner of local government. One cardinal point we used is the continuity of projects because it is very important in governance; continuity in programmes, construction and articulation, so that after building a solid foundation you need continuity in order to make a real legacy.
“We have all our development issues that we have documented and without continuity, things will be bastardized and you will find out that you are not going far. We believe in issue of continuity. I could remember when I was a deputy governor and I became a governor during the Kwankwaso administration. We planned all the projects he executed together and we did the implementation together.
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“So, by the time he left I did not need anybody to tell me anything about any project because I knew straight where to start, I knew why the project was conceived and I had no reason to abandon it. We started a kilometre three flyover which we achieved about 20 to 30 per cent and I had to complete that flyover almost four years ago, consuming over N16 billion.
“That is the power of continuity. I could recall Kwankwaso started hydroelectricity in Chalawa Dam which he started in 2014. A multi-billion naira project, he left it at 30 per cent or so. Muhammadu Buhari, as a presidential aspirant, at that time laid the foundation of that project and today that project is completed and Muhammadu Buhari is going to commission that project on the 30th of this month. He laid the foundation over 10 years ago. That is the power of continuity, and there are so many other things like that.
“So, Dr Gawuna is fully aware of our programmes and our projects and we believe that is what makes legacy great – the issue of continuity. And that is the family we are breeding: continuity. We respect it and we will continue to build on that.
“So, ladies and gentlemen, that is why we decided to make all necessary arrangements and consultations to ensure that Dr Yusuf Gawuna emerges the gubernatorial candidate and we believe that this is a solid team to beat. There is no other political party in Kano that has the credentials and we believe we will win. So, our today’s event is a fund-raising event as you know. Even though we are running a government, the electoral laws provide for this kind of occasion. There is no doubt that we are in need of funds for logistics in order to conduct our elections in a very conducive environment and the candidate is already presented.”
In his own remarks, the APC Governorship candidate said continuity in government policies and programmes was key to achieving good results.
Gawuna said the experience he garnered in public service has provided him with the knowledge to hit the ground running when elected as governor of Kano state.
“My experience is crucial, I am prepared to give all I have learnt over the years to serve our state.
“Our commitment is to ensure sustenance of good governance where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed through the creation of an environment where businesses will thrive in Kano.”
Plateau state governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong said he was impressed with the turnout at the event.
“Gawuna will definitely take Kano to the next level. We will ensure that Kano remains one of the best states in Nigeria. Our presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu attaches great value to not only Kano but to the people of the state. The mammoth crowd we saw there is clear proof that Kano is an APC state. It is a clear case that Ganduje and Gawuna are with the people and we are with them.”
