FORMER National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has said that the reported moves by his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to rejoin the ruling party must be subjected to strict rules and due process.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, Ganduje stressed that the APC would not oppose Kwankwaso’s return but insisted that the former Defence Minister must abide by the constitution and guidelines of the party.
“We’ve heard about Kwankwaso’s return plans. In democracy, the vote of a thief and that of a cleric carry equal weight. So, we won’t shut our doors to anyone. Anyone who wants to join is welcome, but they must follow due process.
“We have rules and a constitution. If they return, we’ll welcome them, but we will name it for what it is: they’ve vomited and now they’re licking it back,” Ganduje said.
Kwankwaso and Ganduje once enjoyed a close political relationship, with Ganduje serving as Kwankwaso’s deputy before succeeding him as Governor of Kano State in 2015.
However, the alliance collapsed, leading to years of political rivalry between the two leaders.
Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has recently hinted at the possibility of a merger or a return to the APC but not without conditions.
During a meeting with Hon. Buhari Bakwana, a former adviser to Ganduje, and APC grassroots leaders from Kano’s 44 local government areas, Kwankwaso declared:
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us. Discussions about a merger or return to APC must spell out tangible benefits for my party (NNPP).”
While Ganduje admitted that the APC would not reject Kwankwaso’s comeback bid, he maintained that there would be no shortcuts or special treatment for the NNPP leader.
The comments underscore the complex political calculations in Kano, Nigeria’s most populous state in the North, where both leaders command strong grassroots followings.
For now, Kwankwaso’s possible return remains an open question, hinging on whether both sides can reconcile past grievances and agree on mutually beneficial terms.
