Kwankwaso, Shekarau meet in Abuja over Kano, general polls

Two former governors of Kano state, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Ibrahim Shekarau, met last Saturfay night in Abuja where the erstwhile political opponents discussed Kano politics, forthcoming state and national general elections and success of the Democratic Party, PDP.

The Saturday meeting was held at Shekarau’s Asokoro residence and it was  a prelude to an extended meeting with other party leaders.

Daily Nigerian quoted Shekarau as saying there was “no hard feelings, and I don’t bear any grudge”.

Responding, Kwankwaso said he was at peace with Shekarau and that they would collaborate towards the success of the party.

Party leaders at the national level were said to have favoured Kwankwaso to have 51 percent stake in the party structure, having joined the party alongside nine members of the House of Representatives.

A source said: “The party leaders know the political weight of the senator. Aside his being a serving senator, he currently has a serving deputy governor, nine serving Reps and six serving members of the House of Assembly in his political kitty.

“Essentially, he is the most powerful force in the state today. This is what the party at the national level considered to cede the control to him”.

Incumbent Governor Abdullahi Ganduje was Kwankwaso’s deputy for eight years (1999-2003 and 2011 to 2015) but the two fell apart shortly after the 2015 election.

Kwankwaso, a Minister of Defence during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, joined the APC with other aggrieved PDP governors on November 23 2013.

Two months later (January 29 2014), Shekarau joined the Goodluck Jonathan government and was later appointed Minister of Education.

Daily Post/ African Parliamentary News