A governorship aspirant from Kaduna State in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Sani Mahmoud Shaaban, has said the decision of Governor Ahmad Nasir el-Rufai to anoint the senator representing Kaduna North, Uba Sani, as his preferred successor, was against democratic tenets.
Kano State Governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his anointed candidate, Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, have submitted their expression of interest and nomination forms for the governorship of the state and Kano North Senatorial District seat.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja after submitting his nomination forms, Shaaban said Governor El-Rufai’s action was a clear case of dictatorship, insisting that the governor got it wrong and ran contrary to democratic tenets and laid down rules.
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Do we have anything called anointment in the history or dictates of APC as a party? APC is a democratic party. Today, APC is the ruling party at the national level. Today, APC is the ruling party in Kaduna State. So, for anybody to say this is what I want, due to whatever position such an individual occupies, and then deny more than three million eligible registered voters the right to vote, can’t be proper and acceptable. We don’t call that democracy.
Democracy is to come out and meet the basic requirements the party lays down and goes out to do. I can assure you in Kaduna State, there is nothing called anointment.
“Everyone is willing and ready for a free and fair primary election and we believe the leadership of APC at the national level. We believe the capacity and the capability of President Muhammadu Buhari will not allow dictatorship of any individual,” he said.
Former Deputy Governor of Kano State Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, who submitted the forms on their behalf, hailed Ganduje over the choice of Gawuna, saying it was in tandem with the wishes of party stakeholders in Kano State.
Flanked by the state Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Garba, the former deputy governor said Ganduje deserved the senatorial seat, having served Kano State meritoriously in the last seven years.
