L-R: Ganduje, Kwankwaso.
By Abdul Hassan
Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has responded to remarks by Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying the former governor and his predecessor was once his political protégé.
Ganduje, who is currently in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage, made the remarks in a statement issued on Friday by his Chief of Staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba.
The statement was a response to recent comments attributed to Kwankwaso in which he said, “Even Ganduje was once my boy.”
Reacting, Ganduje said politics is built on relationships, mentorship, sacrifice and support, stressing that no politician rises to prominence without assistance from others.
According to the statement, Ganduje recalled supporting Kwankwaso during his early political career, particularly during the National Assembly election that culminated in his emergence as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“At that time, Ganduje could confidently have referred to Kwankwaso as his political boy, having supported him morally and financially during that period,” the statement said.
The former APC chairman also recalled that while serving as a senior civil servant in the Federal Capital Territory and later as Kano State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Kwankwaso frequently visited his offices in Abuja and Kano.
The statement noted that Ganduje considered it unnecessary to introduce “boy-master” narratives into contemporary political discourse at a time when citizens expect leaders to focus on governance and development.
Ganduje also revisited the 1998 governorship primaries in Kano State, stating that many politicians and stakeholders believed he won the contest but that he was persuaded by senior political figures to step down and accept the deputy governorship slot alongside Kwankwaso in the interest of party unity.
Despite their political differences, the statement noted that both men worked together successfully as governor and deputy governor between 1999 and 2003, and again from 2011 to 2015.
The former governor further argued that political relationships evolve over time, citing the example of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who once served as Kwankwaso’s Personal Assistant but now occupies the state’s highest elected office.
“Politics should not be about who is superior to the other. A father can nurture a child who eventually becomes greater in status and influence,” Ganduje was quoted as saying.
He urged political leaders and their supporters in Kano State to avoid comments capable of deepening divisions and instead focus on promoting peace and development in the state.
