…As Ganduje Moves To Calm Frayed Nerves
From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
The dust raised by the bitter confrontation between the majority Leader of House of Representatives, Alhaji Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kano, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, which disrupted the party’s caucus meeting at the residence of the Governorship candidate, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, Monday, is gradually settling as Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who is the leader of the party in the state, has waded in to calm frayed nerves.
An impeccable source in Kano Government House told The AUTHORITY that the Governor who has already summoned the two warring party chieftains for a peace parley, expressed dismay over the development.
Doguwa and Garo who have for so long engaged in a battle of wits are close alleys to Governor Ganduje.
Reports emanated early Tuesday morning that the duo had engaged in both verbal and physical attacks at Gawuna’s residence, during a high-powered APC caucus meeting.
It was learnt that Doguwa who holds the title Sardaunan Rano had bitterly complained of being sidelined in the scheme of things, accusing Sule Garo (Commander), the immediate-past Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, of being the mastermind of his travails within the party.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, a Press Statement issued by Ganduje’s Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, indicated that an amalgamation of pro-democracy groups sympathetic to Garo, had written Governor Ganduje, urging him to call Sardaunan Rano to order.
But during a Press Conference Tuesday evening, Doguwa denied assaulting or attacking Garo.
He also pleaded with Goveenor Ganduje to make peace within the ranks of APC chieftains in Kano, so that the party will keep campaigning with one body and soul ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Ado Doguwa is representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives where he is currently the Majority Leader and a potential Speakerahip candidate in the next House of Representatives session.
The House Majority Leader told journalists during the Press Conference that the reports trending on Social media platforms that he attacked Garo was fake news and a mis-representation of the truth.
According to him, ” I am a law-abiding citizen, a progressive and a team player and a traditional title holder with respect for institutional democracy as such, would not go to the extent of perpetrating physical attack or inflicting injury on somebody.
“The media stories claimed that I attacked and got Garo injured in a meeting held at Yusuf Gawuna’s house, who is the incumbent Kano State Deputy Governor and also the Governorship candidate of our great party.
“Whatever that is trending in the media is fake news and a mis-representation of what happened at the meeting.
“I believe as a lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I feel I owe myself, family, colleagues and above all, members of the public a duty to be responsible.”
Giving his own graphic account of what transpired during the meeting organized to review the recent visit of APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Kano, Doguwa said: “Though I was not officially invited to the meeting but the State party Chairman, Abdulahi Abbas had invited me for brief sideline talks with him on issues surrounding my Local Government, Doguwa. I made a statement, jokingly that the meeting was APC stakeholders meeting without the National Assembly’s caucus. Mr Garo got up and insulted me. While trying to attack me, a mug of tea fell off the table and broke into pieces. The shards of the broken glass cup hit Mr Garo’s hand and got him injured.
“I didn’t inflict any injury on him as reported by the media. As a traditional title holder, the Sarduana of Rano in my attire, I couldn’t have fought. I see Mr Garo as my brother.”
He pledged his continued loyalty to the party and his desire to keep contributing immensely to the growth, victory and overall interest of APC in Kano and at the national level.
However, the Statement released by Abba Anwar, Tuesday morning was captioned: “Groups Urge Gov Ganduje To Call Representative Doguwa To Order.”
The Statement reads: “An amalgamation of dozens of groups under the platform of Groups For Democracy, wrote a letter to the governor of Kano state, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje urging him to call Alhassan Ado Doguwa, member representing Tudunwada/Doguwa federal constituency, to order, as his (Doguwa) political behaviours are allegedly becoming something else.
“They jointly argued that, “His Excellency should kindly call this man to order, else he will ditch the honourable position attached to his representation. And that could not be good for the party in his constituency, Tudunwada and Doguwa.
“The letter reads, “Your Excellency Sir this is not the type of person we need as a Speaker of the House of Representatives, in the next coming Assembly.
“They also worried that, “What transpired at the Deputy Governor’s residence, started by Hon Doguwa is nothing but disrespectful to our Governor’s choice of gubernatorial candidate and his running mate.
“While urging the governor to kindly call Doguwa to order, the amalgamation of groups requested the governor, to beg, on their (groups) behalf, the Deputy Governor, who is the gubernatorial candidate, his running mate and other dignitaries who were present at the Deputy Governor’s residence when Doguwa did what he did, to kindly forgive the situation.
“Not only at Deputy Governor’s residence, Doguwa did other things that are unbecoming of a political leader in some other places, recently and sometimes in the past,” the letter reads.
“The letter rhetorically asked, ‘Must Doguwa go to a meeting he was not hitherto invited at the Deputy Governor’s residence and wrecked havoc?”
