….Threatens to slap NNPP Candidate if sighted in Aso Rock
The immediate past governor of Kano state, Dr Umar Ganduje, on Friday accused his predecessor, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the brain behind the ongoing demolition being carried out by the newly elected governor of the State, Abba Kabiir Yusuf
Kwankwaso was the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, in the February 25 election and the two have become like cat and dog in recent years.
Briefing State House correspondents after meeting behind closed doors with President Bola Tinubu, the visibly enraged Ganduje accused Kwankwaso of being behind the demolition of property in the state, he stated if he had met Kwankwaso, at the Villa, he would have slapped him.
The former governor said he met with President Tinubu to brief him on the security situation in Kano State following the demolition exercise embarked upon by the administration of Governor Yusuf.
Fielding a question on whether he met Kwankwaso who is equally around in the Villa with the president, he said, “I know he is in the building but we have not met. Probably if we met, maybe I could have slapped him.”
Ganduje said the demolition exercise was done without carrying out any investigation or giving due notice in line with the provisions of the Land Use Act.
The former governor said he spoke at length on the issue while reporting the matter to the president and had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba with video evidence of the looting and vandalisation that trailed the demolition.
Ganduje said he had briefed the president adequately on the demolition exercise that even affected the supporters of Kwankwaso whom he accused of ordering the action.
He said the governor who he described as a “stooge” of Kwankwaso was no longer happy because of the condemnation that greeted the move.
Asked to give figures to properties lost to the demolition exercise, he said some human rights organizations were working on the level of damage.
He, however, said one of the developers who was affected had sued the government demanding over N10billion.
He said the state government had said the demolition exercise was part of the fulfilment of his campaign promise to “restore” the urban development master plan of the city.
He had also insisted that the exercise was not a vendetta against the past administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and that many more demolitions would follow.