Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, on Sunday, lambasted his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for saying he will easily defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 if fielded by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Ganduje, who dismissed Kwankwaso’s claim, said the former governor was a political lightweight who cannot win an election in his ward and does not have what it takes to defeat Buhari in the next election.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, the governor said Kwankwaso had since lost political relevance in Kano politics.
He said Kwankwaso had since become “a political fugitive who does not have the platform, the intellectual capability and mental ability to manage the affairs of Nigeria.”
Ganduje said, ”Senator Kwankwaso’s latest utterances have confirmed the fact that he is now a confused politician who is grabbing every opportunity to relaunch himself back into relevance.
“For over three years, he has been sleeping in the Senate without sponsoring even a bill that will positively impact on the lives of Nigerians. This is a clear indication that he has nothing to offer. He is just being boastful.
“For over three years, Kwankwaso has been in the Senate, he has not visited Kano Central, his senatorial district. He has not executed any tangible constituency project for his people.
“Since then, he has not been around and we have been here in Kano playing the game of politics the way it should be done. The good people of Kano are appreciating our modest achievements and they have expressed confidence in us.
“Senator Kwankwaso’s dream to get the PDP presidential ticket remains a tall one that can never see the light of the day because those he is going to meet there are familiar with his antics. They have not forgotten in a hurry the role he played in destroying the same PDP.
“I am surprised that Kwankawso is now talking about people like Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, a man he persecuted and betrayed in many occasions. I am surprised he is talking about the PDP, a party he destroyed and betrayed many of the chieftains who are still there today to pay him back with his own coin.”
Ganduje insisted that Kwankwaso was no longer relevant in Kano politics, pointing out that all his political structure had been completely dismantled.
He added that “Those who know him will understand that he is overrating himself and cannot be seen as a major contender in the 2019 presidential election. He is a usurper who wants power by all means. Here in Kano, the support for President Buhari and the APC is non-negotiable.”
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