After joining NNPP, Shekarau narrates how Ganduje maginalised him in APC

Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau has explained the reasons why he dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Shekarau said he left the APC because the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje does not recognise his status as a former governor, former minister, and sitting senator.

He said despite his political status in Kano, Ganduje has never invited him to any structured meeting.

Speaking to journalists shortly after announcing his defection to the NNPP at his residence on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, Shekarau said he and his followers left the APC because of the injustice and non-inclusiveness in the ruling party.

He said, “I, as former governor, former senator, a former minister and a sitting senator, and, an elder in the party. Since after the election, I was never ever invited to any structured meeting.

“The constitution of the party provides for caucus meeting, elders meeting at all levels and members of the caucus, members of the elders committees as in the constitution are least, no one has the right as far the party constitution to reconstitute the composition of such bodies as spelt out in the party constitution. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, I was never invited to such meeting.

“Ganduje approached me in his first tenure and asked me to nominate one person to be appointed commissioner. Shehu Na’allah Kura was one of the loyal and hardworking party members. So I gave his name.

“The governor approached me again during his second term that he is granting our group two positions of commissionership, but he has selected one for us, we are to select one. And he said, he has selected Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso and we said this is fraudulent.

The former governor also said in spite of his group’s contribution to APC in Kano, Ganduje never requested him to submit a name for any kind of appointment.

“In spite of our contributions which he came personally to beg; at the stadium everybody saw him saying ‘we are begging you to come’, and he and the national chairman insisted. The entire national executives came to this very house and insisted I must come in to help without any condition at all.

“When the local government elections came, some two years ago, we were not involved at all. In my position, even if I were never a governor, minister or senator, at least, at my age in my local government or ward, I deserve some attention as an elder in the party in my Ward and local government. Surprisingly, I was never consulted, never contacted and those to contest the local government election; chairman and councillors were traditionally nominated not elected at any party structure meeting,” he said.

Shekarau joined the NNPP days after Abdulmumin Jibrin, a former member of the house of representatives and a director-general of the Bola Tinubu campaign group, joined the party.