THE 14th Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Wednesday berated Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the latter’s comment on President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Naira Policy.
News Point Nigeria reports that, Khalifa Sanusi stated this while addressing some followers and a select journalists at his Lagos home over the weekend.
According to the Khalifa, who is also the leader of the Tijjaniyya Order in Nigeria, Governor Ganduje has no moral right to criticize President Buhari’s policies as the governor was part of the people defending such policies.
Recall, Governor Ganduje lashed out at the administration of President Buhari over its naira redesign policy saying the policy may hurt the chances of the ruling party in the general election and may adversely affect democratic rule in the country.
Ganduje, an ally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, made the claim during a meeting with a group of former National Assembly members from the North West last Wednesday.
Ganduje said the policy should have been introduced seven years ago or after the election.
The governor stated that, President Buhari, by implementing the policy close to an election, will destroy the party under which he became president for two consecutive terms.
“No doubt we know the importance of politicians. That’s why now, when you look at what’s happening, it can make you weep.
“Look at this person, who had contested several times without winning. No sooner than a merger took place, he won an election. After four years, he got re-elected. Now he is going after his tenure but there is nothing he is doing than to destroy the same party that helped him to power. How could anybody be like that? How can anyone choose to be Habu-na-Habu? Ganduje asked.
Habu-na-Habu was a mythical character in a song by the Late Mamman Shata Katsina, which simply delineates a man, who gets intoxicated and does unpalatable things to people around him.
But according to Khalifa Sanusi, these are nothing but political comments, “same set of people who condemned us for trying to tell this administration the truth, for trying to caution the administration on its policies, are now the same set of people criticizing and insulting the administration for nothing but political reasons”.
“It’s unfortunate that we don’t advise and counsel our leaders. Anyone trying to tell the govt the truth is seen as an enemy of the administration and that is not how it should be”.
“I remember when the Kano State Govt ordered for my probe just because I counseled the federal govt on some of its economic policies. The State Assembly and several other govt agencies were asked to remove me for ‘embarrassing the federal govt’”.
“I kept quite all these while for a reason, but there is always a time to talk and now is the time to talk. Here we are, the same Kano Govt is saying worst things about the federal govt now. So this should clearly tell anyone that these comments from the govt are nothing but politics”.
“At least I didn’t even call the President Habu-na-Habu. So who is embarrassing the federal govt now? The big question is, why is the kano govt saying all of these a few weeks to elections, the answer is simple, they don’t care about their people, if they do, they won’t wait till a few weeks to election to counsel the federal govt”.
Khalifa Sanusi then urged the electorates to vote for people with focus and credibility in the forth coming general elections, politicians that will move Nigeria forward.
‘I am in no position to ask people to vote for any candidate but I am appealing to the voters to vote people that have the interest of this country at heart. Leaders that won’t subject their people to untold hardship”.
He then prayed for a peaceful, free and fair elections.