The Kwankwasiyya Movement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has been facing with different challenges since 2018 when a former deputy governor, Professor Hafizu Abubakar, returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Professor Hafizu was a staunch ally of the former Kano State governor and leader of the movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Hafizu resigned his position as deputy to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and rejoined Kwankwaso in the PDP, but later defected to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) when he could not get the PDP governorship ticket for 2019 elections. He later rejoined the APC to team up with Governor Ganduje against Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiyya Movement.
Mass defections from Kwankwasiyya
Similarly, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Architect Aminu Dabo; the immediate past APC National Treasurer, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa; the Security Adviser to Kwankwaso, General Danjuma Dambazau (Rtd); and Engineer Mu’azu Magaji; all of them staunch members of the Kwankwasiyya, left Kwankwaso and his party ahead of the 2019 general elections.
However, despite the huge Kwankwasiyya bigwigs’ defections, the Kwankwasiyya PDP was able to stage a strong fight but it lost out through the “inconclusive” phenomenon. At that time, it was also alleged that those aggrieved over Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf’s choice in the 2019 general elections also teamed up with Ganduje’s APC.
The latest that was viewed as the biggest hit against the Kwankwasiyya movement was when former Secretary to the State Government, Dr Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi, one of the closest allies of Kwankwaso when he was governor, abandoned his boss and joined the APC.
How Ramadan palliatives ignited the crack
Moreover, in early May 2021, a report alleging a crack in the Kwankwasiyya movement filtered round and stakeholders in the state’s politics were said to have expressed divergent views on the development. The alleged political crack was attributed to a viral video showing Sanusi Surajo, an aide of Kwankwaso, accusing another strong member of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
In the video, Sanusi accused the member of trying to disunite the movement because of his gubernatorial ambition and workings against Abba Yusuf – known in the political arena as Abba Gida-Gida. Yusuf was the gubernatorial candidate of PDP in the 2019 general elections.
However, many strongly believed that Sanusi was referring to Dr Adamu Yunusa Dangwani, a former Commissioner for Water Resources during Kwankwaso’s second tenure as governor.
It was clear that many Kwankwasiyya members were not happy with Sanusi’s utterances in the video, and as such called on the party to sanction him as its organising secretary in the state.
It was gathered that Sanusi’s allegation against Dangwani followed the Ramadan palliative distribution worth millions of naira to party members carried out by Dangwani which generated a serious debate within the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Many viewed Dangwani’s gesture as an aspiration move which they believed was contrary to the movement’s stand of the existence of an anointed candidate in person of Abba Gida-Gida.
Others were said to have rallied behind Dangwani, saying he had done the right thing and that he deserved whatever political office he wished for being a legal member of the movement.
Amid the crack and speculations, Dangwani came out and refuted the reported crisis in the ranks of Kwankwasiyya, saying it was the handiwork of the state government under the leadership of Governor Ganduje.
He explained that the rumour was being peddled by unscrupulous elements within the opposition in order to cause distractions as they saw Kwankwasiyya becoming more formidable and success coming its way.
Dangwani revealed that there was no crack in the party as its members were united and strove to achieve peace, harmony and progress as taught by its leader, Senator Kwankwaso.
He explained that, “These reports are nothing but the handiwork of the opposition in order to cause unnecessary feud within Kwankwasiyya. The opposition is capitalising on the distribution of palliatives that I distributed to create the crisis.
“Everybody knows that our leader, every year, in a situation like this, distributes palliatives to the needy. So, we always strive to emulate him in doing good things. That is why we are emulating him this year in order to get reward, especially in this holy month of Ramadan. That is why some unscrupulous elements used it to create false stories in order to cause a crisis within us.”
Kwankwaso’s peace deal
However, in late May, Senator Kwankwaso held a meeting with the leadership of the PDP and Kwankwasiyya Movement. Sources revealed that the meeting was aimed at mending fences ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The meeting was said to be the first after the crisis that engulfed the state’s chapter of the party at its zonal congress in Kaduna which pitched supporters of Kwankwaso against the supporters of the Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who is said to be supporting the Aminu Wali faction in the state.
However, all PDP party officials have remained silent on the internal crack in the movement. A source within the Kwankwasiyya circle told our reporter that Kwankwasiyya had uncovered a plot to infiltrate its ranks and cause disunity among members ahead of 2023. The source explained that the party had devised a measure to tackle the plot and that therefore the leadership had no time to discuss the issue any more.
He said, “We know the people who have used the little gap created to establish a wrong perception of Kwankwasiyya. We know them and we are telling them they have failed.”
Replacing Abba Yusuf likely in 2023 – Analyst
Speaking on the issue, a Kano-based political analyst, comrade Ishaq Badamasi Science said, even though there are issues attached to recent happenings in the Kwankwasiyya movement as regards to the alleged crack, there is no smoke without fire.
He said going by Kwankwaso’s political tradition, the leader usually doesn’t like fielding the same candidate, adding that the issue of Abba Kabir Yusuf’s possible replacement is possible in 2023 taking into consideration what happened in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
“When Kwankwaso couldn’t contest in 2007 he supported Garban Bichi’s candidature and Garba lost to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. However, when people were thinking that he would support Garba in 2011, he surprised everyone by contesting himself and he won in 2011.
“However, in 2019 despite several aspirants including Garba who had contested in 2007, Kwankwaso supported Abba Kabir. Therefore, I believe a faction of the Kwankwasiyya must have perceived a repetition of the trend and that was why they began to show their dissatisfaction with it,” he said.
Science further stated that, though very powerful in the state, it will be suicidal for the leadership of Kwankwasiyya to replace Abba Kabir in 2023 as the party’s flag bearer.
Too early to discuss 2023 elections- Dangwani
On his gubernatorial ambition, Dangwani said it is too early to venture into the matter as Kwankwaso had taught them to always wait for the right time and they have held on to that philosophy.
Sources close to the Kwankwasiyya movement told our correspondent on anonymity that the closeness of former TEDFUND boss, Dr Baffa Bichi to Kwankwaso fueled the speculations that Abba Kabir Yusuf may be replaced. However, the movement declined to comment on the development.
Both the state PDP chairman Alhaji Shehu Sagagi and the spokesman of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam refused to pick the several calls put to them or reply to the messages sent to them by our correspondent.
Also, a close ally of Sanusi Surajo said the matter is dead and buried, adding that it cannot revive it.
