In leaked audio, Ganduje protests Tinubu’s alliance with Kwankwaso
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed displeasure over talks of alliance between the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In a leaked telephone conversation between Ganduje and Ibrahim Masari, the man who stood as vice presidential placeholder for the All Progressives Congress (APC) before Kashim Shettima was finally chosen, the outgoing Kano State Governor said the move by Tinubu was akin to a betrayal.
Ganduje, one of the forceful supporters of Tinubu, felt he was left in the cold after the President-Elect met Kwankwaso, his political foe, to discuss possible alliance ahead of the formation of a new government on May 29.
Ganduje, in the leaked audio which Daily Nigerian said it verified through insiders in Ganduje’s camp, said the president-elect was unfair to him for inviting Kwankwaso to a meeting in Paris.
In the audio, Masari was heard pacifying Ganduje and urging him not to be angry over the development.
He asked the governor to remain calm until he visits Tinubu on Thursday.
“There is noise all over Kano [over the Paris meeting],” Ganduje said at the beginning of the conversation.
But Masari, who is a close ally of Tinubu, said he had earlier hinted to him [Ganduje] of the possibility of the meeting.
“I told you about it but you asked me to dismiss it,” Masari said.
“Even if it was true as you hinted, was there anything I could have done to prevent him? Nothing,” Ganduje responded.
“You should have at least confronted him to confirm for yourself,” said Masari.
“If he [Tinubu] now sees Kwankwaso as an alternative to us because we lost an election, there is no problem about that,” Ganduje said in an emotion-laden voice.
But Masari asked the governor to perish the thoughts and be calm, adding that he cautioned Tinubu about the implications of the meeting without notifying Ganduje.
“I share your pains. Even your enemy knows that he was not fair to you, but please remain calm until you come [to Abuja],” Masari consoled Ganduje.
“He should have at least invited us for the meeting even if it was for symbolic purposes. And we even lost Kano because of him, the governor lamented. And one thing he [Tinubu] failed to understand is that power belongs to God. And these are very wrong calculations,” he said.
Masari agreed, saying Tinubu was sending the wrong signal that would prevent people from trusting him.
Ganduje cited an example of how Kwankwaso fell apart with former president Goodluck Jonathan over corruption allegations.
Masari said: “I spoke with President earlier and I lamented to him about the issue. He (Tinubu) told me that it was SLS [Sanusi Lamido Sanusi] who arranged the meeting through [Gilbert] Chagoury (a Franco-Lebanese business tycoon and ally of Mr Tinubu). And I asked whether you were informed before the meeting, he (Tinubu) said no. I will adequately brief you when we meet, you know phone calls are not safe. Just keep exhibiting your maturity by keeping mum.”
The governor however said he received a security report that the meeting was part of a plan to scuttle the APC governorship case at the election petition tribunal, which Masari concurred.
He, however, said it was not within the powers of Tinubu to scuttle the election case.
“Yes, that game plan is there, but it is not within his purview, but your Excellency I’m pleading with you to be calm until you come around. Let’s not discuss this issue on the phone. You know how unsafe our conversation could be.
“Anytime you come around, we will have our usual meeting and present our resolutions to him,” Masari added.
