APC crisis: Kwankwaso’s group perfect defection plans •Buhari may lose Kano support base —Aminu Dabo •Kwankwasiyya group meets to take decision. 

Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is billed to meet members of his political organisation, the Kwankwasiyya movement tonight to decide on his planned defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC).There has been a growing agitation among members of the Kwankwasiyya group for their leader to leave the APC in view of their exclusion from the ruling party and the growing animosity between Kwankwaso and his successor, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

The planned defection, which would have been decided upon at a rally planned for Kano last week, was, however, shelved due to security reasons.

Information available in the political circles indicated that Kwakwanso may not be the only APC topshot set to dump the party.

It was gathered that some leaders of the North are already working on Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and vie for the presidency.

It was gathered that some forces in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari slowed down the Kwankwasiyya move and the defection plan when they promised to ensure truce between Ganduje and Kwakwanso.

The deal has, however, fallen flat as sources confirmed that the Kwankwasiyya movement is billed to meet today in Abuja for a final decision to dump APC.

Sources said that Kwakwanso is to decide on the choice of the party to join after leaving the APC.

The development is coming on the heels of confirmation by a chieftain of the APC and former Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Aminu Dabo, that the planned defection by Kwankwaso may lead to the loss of Kano political base by President Buhari.

Dabi, in an interview in Abuja, said that the leadership of the party and  the presidency must apply caution in handling the crisis in the Kano chapter.

He said the president stands to lose his strongest political base with the handling of the crisis.

Last week, Kano State Police Commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf, cautioned Kwankwaso against visiting  his home state for political activities due to the tension generated between his supporters and those of Governor Ganduje.

Dabo, who spoke  with newsmen  with in Abuja, on Saturday, said that  Governor Ganduje was trying to drag the presidency and the national leadership of the APC into the crisis.

He claimed that the crisis was  fast consuming the Ganduje’s political career.

“Governor Ganduje has suddenly realised that his quarrel with our leader, Senator Kwankwaso is overwhelming him; that the people of Kano State are not happy with him, and he is becoming very unpopular in the state,” he said.

“He has realised suddenly that the only way for him to survive or to feel protected is to bring the presidency and the national leadership of our party into it. This is going to be very serious and the presidency, especially President Muhammadu Buhari, will pay a very huge political price.

“The consequence of taking side with Governor Ganjuje in this crisis will be huge, because the people of Kano State are not happy with the governor and what is happening.’’

According to him,  President Buhari could easily lose Kano, which he called his ‘’biggest and strongest’’ political base in the country.

He also stated that Buhari must be “politically correct” in relating with all the stakeholders involved in the Kano APC crisis.

Dabo, who is a close ally of Senator Kwankwaso, stated that the current political situation in Kano had placed the fate of the APC in  a dicey state.

He added: “How can you stop a normal visit? If you think you are popular why not allow other people to do their own activities? How can you stop a serving senator from visiting his senatorial district? This is very unfortunate.’’

He attributed the crisis to what he called ‘’betrayal of trust’’ by Governor Ganduje.

DANI FURTHER said:

‘’The situation has been on for quite some time; as you can remember, our leader, the former governor, Senator Kwankwaso, worked so hard to install the current governor with all the supports of his followers, but unfortunately he came and betrayed that trust.

‘’There was nothing personal; Governor Ganduje derailed from the actual concept, ideology and the system of Kwankwasiya group; and all efforts made to let him realise his wrong steps were ignored. He has been treating us as foreigners; we are now like an opposition within our party. He drove us out of the system and brought entirely new people, which is quite unfortunate.’’

He also stated that the police, the presidency and the governor were responsible for the cancellation of Kwakwanso’s visit last week.