*Says former Gov chased him out of Kano for three and half years

Former governor of Kano State Rabiu Kwankwaso, Friday, said that he and the immediate past Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, were summoned by President Bola Tinubu over the ongoing demolition in the State.

Kwankwaso, who was the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, said that Ganduje as a governor chased him out of Kano State for three and half years.

Fielding questions from State House correspondents, he claimed that most of the buildings demolished were illegally acquired by the Ganduje administration and that President Tinubu was shocked when he briefed him on the true picture of what led to the present demolition.

Asked if he was satisfied with the president’s intervention, he said: “The President was shocked. Are you not shocked that somebody will sell University? Are you not shocked that he demolished the only university? Daula Hotel, for those of you who are in Kano, you know the old Daula, he demolished it and that is a faculty under the University of Science and Technology. He demolished that one. Are you not shocked?

“The President was shocked. He didn’t know. He even mentioned it that he talked to somebody to go and find out for him. He also demolished the Triumph newspaper house and put shops everywhere.” According to Kwankwaso, his party under Governor Abba Yusuf, was only fulfilling the campaign promises to demolish such structures.

“The governor is doing what we campaigned with. I wanted to be president, I campaigned also. And I went to Kano and told them that these places, schools, in fact, most of our schools in Kano were being encroached on. And it is our policy to make sure that places that were encroached are returned to them. We will not allow anybody, whether local government chairman or Governor to go and sell the property.”

Regarding speculations of accepting a ministerial position from the Tinubu administration, Kwankwaso revealed that talks were ongoing about the possibility. He however dismissed rumours of defecting to the ruling party, emphasising that Tinubu was more focused on a government of national unity. He described Ganduje as a stooge whom he made his Special Adviser and also his deputy while he (Kwankwanso) was governor.