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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, has raised an alarm over the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, warning that the ruling party may lose the 2023 presidential election in the state.
At a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Ado-Doguwa noted that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had left the APC structure in the state in the hands of those who were disorganising the party.
According to him, while the governor has governed the state well administratively, those he left to manage the party have frustrated loyal members out of it.
The lawmaker, who is representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, questioned the loyalty of a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Murtala Garo, an in-law to the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
“It is my hope and it is the hope of the APC people in Nigeria that Bola can be able to discharge his duties; that Bola can be able to consolidate on the gains earlier laid down by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I want to say today without any fear of contraction; without any fear of intimidation; without any fear of any quarter or any authority anywhere that there is fire on the mountain as far as the APC is concerned in Kano State. There is fire on the mountain – I repeat, there is fire on the mountain. This is the right time to say it because we have been going through a silent crisis especially in the area of party administration and politicking with a lot of intrigues and exclusion of members.
“Management and administration of the party is being done exclusively by a few members of the party who are, by all standing, not supposed to handle what they are handling in the APC. I want to say for the purpose of clarification that I am talking about party politics in Kano; in our party, the APC.
“The leadership of our party in Kano, unfortunately, for quite some time has been subjected to crisis. There is witch-hunting and chasing away of members. The governor has handed the party to some individuals who are now working for their personal interests.
“The party is not being managed with democratic inclusiveness. APC is in trouble. APC is in crisis because this gentleman (Garo) has proven to be the man to destroy the APC by chasing away so many good people from the party. He has caused this party the exit and decamping of more than five members of the House of Reps because he hated them. They were denied ticket,” he said.
The majority leader said the party should forget about the 2023 general elections if the national and state leaders fail to intervene and rescue the party.
“I want to draw the attention of all authorities at the national and state level to quickly wave into the affairs of the party in Kano because this boy is causing serious damage in the party.
“If action is not taken, and this gentleman is allowed to continue to mishandle the affairs of this party in the name of former commissioner of local government – in the name of someone who feels that he is stronger than the governor, then we can forget it. If Murtala (Garo) continues to be at the forefront of the party come 2023 during our elections – I repeat, forget it,” Doguwa added.