“We Are Ready to Welcome Kwankwaso to Save His Dwindling Political Career” – Ganduje

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has revealed that the party may consider welcoming former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in a bid to salvage his dwindling political career. Speaking on Tuesday at the APC national secretariat in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, Ganduje likened Kwankwaso’s current political state to a fish seeking water for survival. He described accommodating Kwankwaso as a moral obligation, implying that the former governor has been deserted by his political allies and may be seeking refuge in the APC.

Ganduje stated that while the party has not officially invited Kwankwaso, it would not turn him away if he decides to return, emphasizing the importance of providing support to a political figure in need. “When a fish is running out of water, that’s exactly what is happening. If the water is drying, the fish has to find its way to water,” he said. “If your son is looking for shelter and you are in a big house, I think it is morally right to accommodate him.”

However, this sentiment was not shared by Ata, who warned that welcoming Kwankwaso could destabilize the APC in Kano State. He argued that Kwankwaso no longer holds significant influence in the state and is only attempting to rejoin the APC because of his declining relevance. Ata insisted that the former governor’s return could spark internal conflict within the Kano APC, adding that the party’s grassroots no longer identify with Kwankwaso’s political movement. He pointed to a visible decline in the symbolic “red caps” associated with Kwankwaso’s supporters as evidence of his waning popularity.

“Kwankwaso is no longer relevant in Kano. He is only coming to APC, not that we invited him. He is going to die politically,” Ata said. “Anybody who visits Kano today will see that there are a lot of changes. It’s hard to find red caps in Kano now.” He further stressed that any acceptance of Kwankwaso must come directly from Ganduje, as the state’s party leader, stating that the party’s grassroots members firmly reject the idea of his return.

Asked about his personal stance on a possible Kwankwaso defection, Ata said he would not support it unless directed by Ganduje, whom he referred to as the party’s father figure. “Personally, I won’t be happy. Unless it is a decision from our father to accommodate him,” Ata concluded.