National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, yesterday, shocked his political allies and rivals alike, when he called on his estranged principal, Rabiu Kwankwaso; Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf; Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, and other opposition leaders in the state to join his party.

 

Ganduje, who made the call after a stakeholders’ meeting in Kano, said the idea was to enable APC use its national advantage to bring about a focused and unified one-party arrangement that would favour his native Kano State.

 

It was a dramatic climb down from his high horse for a man who had for some time displayed haughty and self-righteous attitudes towards opposition leaders in his state, some of whom were his political benefactors.

 

Holding out an olive branch to members of the opposition parties, and inviting them to join the governing APC, Ganduje assured them of a level playing ground for new members, especially in his Kano home state.

 

The APC national chairman stated, “We can use that advantage to have a good control of the country politically by having a unified focus as a one-party state. The APC is the largest party in Africa and has resolved to open its arms wide to welcome new members into it.

 

“There are a lot of developmental projects from the federal government that include the gas pipeline, rail line, and road from Abuja to Kaduna to Kano that the state, as a commercial centre, will benefit from.

 

“The party is expecting an inflow of people from other parties to increase the number of people that will join it. We appeal to those who want to join the APC.”

He specifically called on his political opponents to come over to the governing party, saying, “We are inviting Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and his officials to join the APC party.

 

“We are calling on him with a loud voice and have created an enabling environment for the governor of Kano State and his party to come and join the APC so that we make a solid and large followership.

 

“We are the most populated state in the country, let us make use of our population to our benefit and create a large followership in Nigeria.
“The votes of Kano State are very critical for anyone who wants to become a president of the country. We should utilise that potential to decide who our president will be in the future.

 

“We work day and night to visualise Kano as a one-party state. If Kano is converted to a one-party state, it means we can decide for Nigeria and its leadership.

 

“This will be in favour of the state and the party. Leave the NNPP, and come and join the APC. All the other parties should come and join the APC and make Kano a one-party state.

 

“We are discussing with them and from the look of things, Kano state will be a one-party state, an APC state.”

Present at the meeting were Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ado Doguwa; the 44 APC local government chairmen, as well as the state party chairman, Abdullahi Abbas.