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Presidential primaries: Gov Ganduje abandons Tinubu, assures Lawan of “full support”
The Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has assured the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan of “full cooperation” over his ambition to stand as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the 2023 Presidential election.
Governor Ganduje described Kano state as a swing state in party primaries and even in presidential elections and declared that Kano State would swing when it is ready to swing.
He spoke on Saturday night while Lawan was on a visit to see the party delegates in Kano ahead of the upcoming Presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress(APC) scheduled for end of this month.
Lawan and his campaign team were received at the Aminu Kano International Airport by Ganduje himself amidst a mammoth crowd of party supporters who thronged the airport and routes with funfair to welcome them to the ancient city.
In his welcome remarks, Governor Ganduje said the people of Kano were aware of Lawan’s sterling qualities and his contributions to the stability of politics and governance in the country.
The Governor said, from Lawan’s antecedents, if he won the Presidency of Nigeria, there would be peace and stability both in politics and in governance.
Ganduje told Lawan: “Your Excellency, I want to inform you that we are fully aware of your capacity. We are fully aware, the way you handle the National Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate, which you are the chairman.
“If we can recall with nostalgia what happened between 2015 and 2019, we are all living witnesses that we had a lot of instability, poor relationship between the Legislature and the Executive.
“Infact, we had a situation where, in one day, 15 Senators from APC defected to PDP from the Senate Chamber. Your Excellency, I’m saying all these things in order to show your political dexterity in managing the National Assembly, in managing the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.
“Today there is peace, cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature and we believe if you become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we can expect peace and stability between the Legislature and the Executive, with the Institutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the sub-national government in the states, with the Local Governments.
“So Your Excellency we assure you of our full cooperation. Kano state is a swing state in the Presidential primaries, even in the Presidential election and Kano state will swing when it is time to swing.”
Ganduje dwelled in what made Kano so important in the political calculations of Nigeria.
He said: “Kano state has the largest number of delegates in the country. There is no gainsaying about that. This follows from the fact that we have the largest population in the country.
“So Your Excellency, this state is a very important state when issues of elections are concerned.
“We have 44 Local Governments, 484 wards. All our local government council chairmen are elected local government chairmen. Therefore, they are part of the statutory delegates in Kano state and in Nigeria.
“We have over 4,000 elected councillors in Kano state. And most of our 400 legislators especially House of Representatives, Senators, former Senators, principal officers of the state Assembly and National Assembly, Your Excellency, both of them, we are together and we are intact.
“So you can see the composition of our delegation, not only in terms of number but in terms of quality, in terms of capacity, in terms of capability and in terms of political dexterity.”
Speaking at the forum which held at the Coronation Hall of the Kano state government House, Lawan said his mission was to interact with the party delegates on his presidential bid ahead of the primaries.
“I’m here to see and interact with all the 500 delegates from Kano state and I cannot agree more with my leader when he said this is the largest sub-national democracy in Nigeria. I imagine that it could also be the largest sub-national democracy in Africa.
“When His Excellency, our Governor was rounding up his speech, he said Kano is a swing state and it can determine not only the Primaries, with 500 delegates, but also the general elections. Your Excellency, it will swing to my side by the Grace of God.
“I want all the 500 delegates. Infact I need all the 500 delegates Your Excellency. If I can’t have the 500, please let me have at least 400.
“My brothers and sisters, distinguished delegates, I promise you that, when eventually we discuss and find common ground with His Excellency and vote for me, you will for ever be pleased with the way and manner I will lead this country because it is not possible for anyone to lead the country like Nigeria without the presence and contributions of people like Governor Abdullahi Ganduje,” Lawan said.
The Senate President thanked Governor Ganduje for the warmth reception and commended him for his achievements in Kano both in security, governance and party politics.
“I want to commend His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje for the infrastructural miracle in Kano state. You have done so much Your Excellency. You have secured Kano state from banditry, from insurgency and so on. You are indeed a leader, a very successful one at that.
“No amount of propaganda will convince or confuse anyone that Kano is shaking at all. APC in Kano is steady, solid like a rock.
“Come 2023, by the Grace of God, we will have an APC governor and his deputy, all our three Senators will be APC, all the 24 members of the House of Representatives will be APC, all the 40 members of the state House of Assembly will be voted in by the Grace of God. They(opposition parties) will not have anything,” Lawan said.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, over the passing of his mother, Hajiya Safarau Umar Baribari.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Dr. Ganduje described Hajiya Safarau’s death as a profound loss that has left a deep void in the hearts of her family, friends, and the people of Katsina State.
Extending his sympathies, the APC National Chairman condoled with Governor Radda, the bereaved family, and the entire people of Katsina State during this difficult time.
He acknowledged the remarkable contributions of the late Hajiya Safarau and prayed for Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant her eternal rest in Jannatul Firdaus while strengthening the family to bear this irreplaceable loss.
Dr. Ganduje urged Governor Radda and others affected to find comfort in the cherished memories and enduring legacy of the deceased.
Reaffirming the APC’s support, the former Kano State governor assured the people of Katsina State of the party’s solidarity in their time of grief and prayed that Allah (SWT) grant the departed soul Al-Jannah Firdaus. Ameen.
The wife of Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), Hajia Aishat has offered cash and food items worth millions of naira to widows and vulnerable women across Dekina local government Councils, promises to take similar gesture across the nine local government in Kogi East.
The exercise which was tagged: “Widows Empowerment”, saw the Senator’s wife distributing cash and food items to cushion the effect of Ramadan.
Items distributed are bags of rice bags of salt, cartons of seasoning, maggi etc, which were evenly distributed to widows and vulnerable women across party lines.
A beneficiary who spoke with our correspondent at Odu in Dekina Local Government Council, Hon Fitumi thanked Hajia for her continuous effort in coming through for widows and vulnerable regularly.
She acknowledged similar gesture by Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), a fortnight ago at Ankpa when youths in their numbers from three Local Government Areas were trained in Agriculture and empowered, stressing that people are now living testimony to the effort of the lawmaker.
“”We are aware of several intervention projects, empowerment and developmental projects of Senator Echocho and we are not surprised seeing Hajia toeing the similar path.
“The distribution of food items and cash today is not only a rekindling of hope to the beneficiaries, but an encouragement that despite their condition, they were not forgotten.
Hajia Labran, and other APC Women leaders who spoke on behalf of women, applauded Hajia Aisha Echocho and pray Allah to strengthen her to carry on, urged others to emulate her sustainable initiatives.
The women advised other political office holders to emulate what is good and just, which they believed would strengthen the party.
As part of the activities to celebrate the golden anniversary of the University of Calabar, the wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio was on Saturday, March 22, 2025 conferred with an honorary doctorate degree in Education Management.
The ceremony held at the main campus of the institution in Calabar, Cross River State also saw the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike awarded the honorary doctorate degree in Law.
Other awardees included Major General Moses Bisong Obi (rtd) (Doctor of Peace and Conflict Studies) and Supreme Court Justice, Emmanuel Akomaye Obi (Doctor of Law).
In her acceptance speech after the conferment by the 15th Emir of Kano and Chancellor of the University, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Akpabio thanked the Governing Council and Management of the University for finding her worthy of the honour.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Media/communication to the President of the Senate, Anietie Ekong quoted Mrs Akpabio as saying “I am happy to be honoured with this award from the prestigious University of Calabar that I have heard so much about from my dear husband, an alumnus of this great institution.
“I was wondering when I will join him as a great Malabress and that day has come and I am grateful to the University for this honour,” she said.
Mrs Akpabio promised to work with other awardees especially the Minister of the FCT to provide infrastructural assistance to the university.
In a citation the University extolled Mrs Akpabio for her philanthropic and humanitarian efforts towards uplifting the lives of women and the vulnerable of the society through her non governmental organisation, the Family Life Enhancement Initiative.
She was also recognized as a Champion of women’s rights and as one who used her position as the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State to fight for the inclusion of more women in governance.
On his part, Chief Wike said he was honoured to be among the recipients of award. He extolled the Visitor of the University, President Bola Tinubu for working tirelessly to promote tertiary education in the country.
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