Kano Deputy Governor Race: How 27 APC stakeholders backed Garo’s nomination

The controversy waving around the selection of suitable nominee for the vacant Deputy Governor’s seat has finally been laid to rest with the overwhelming endorsement of former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo.

Garo, secured the backing of the legacy stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the leadership of former National Chairman of the party Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during a high level meeting on Saturday where 27 of the 31 attendees sanctioned Garo to deputize Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

The Guardian gathered that among prominent stakeholders who endorsed Garo’s candidacy include former Kano State Governor and ex-APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Former Deputy Governor and Former Minister of State for Housing, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo; Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi and Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila.

Other APC Chieftains that supported Garo’s nomination include Hon. Mariya Bunkure, Minister of State FCT; Senator Garba Lado; AA Zaura; former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly and current Member of Dambatta Makoda Federal Constituency Hamisu Chidari;House of Representatives member, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Hon. Abdulhamin Jibrin Kofa, Hon Abdullahi Sani Rogo, among many others.

Revealing how the legacy stakeholders backed Garo during the meeting, former Leader of House of Representatives and member representing Doguwa Tudun-Wada Federal constituency of Kano state, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa hinted despite a negligible descending voice, the choice of Garo dominated.

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Doguwa maintained that Garo enjoyed the widest grassroot support and loyalty having served as council chairman and commissioner in charge of local government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state. The Federal lawmaker who believed that Garo remains the best man for the job insisted other two contending candidates are “mere shadow candidates”.

Doguwa applauded Governor Yusuf for ceding his authority as the overall leader of APC in Kano to the legacy stakeholders under the leadership of Dr. Ganduje to produce three candidates for the seat. He insisted that despite the gracious opportunity, the stakeholder forwarded the name of Garo as most qualified candidate for the job.

” I wish to first and foremost commend His Excellency Governor Engr. Abba Kabir’s decision to humbly and willingly concede his constitutional right and powers to the legacy component of the old APC under the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to nominate a Deputy Governor.

“For this singular courtesy and an act of modesty we must categorically commend the Governor and appreciate his uncommon magnanimity and clear manifestation of his determination to working together for the Unity of the Party.

“In the course of our meeting the majority opinion of the Old legacy party members including my humble self have cooperated and supported Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and accepted him as leader of the legacy group in Kano state. And he presided over our meeting last night.

“For me the meeting went on well and came up with an overwhelming support in favour of our former Deputy gubernatorial candidate and a former Commissioner for local government affairs Hon. Murtala Sulen Garo as a unanimous choice.

“Ofcourse there were unavoidable descending voices that one can not rule out in such a situation. But about 27 stakeholders out of 31 in attendance of that meeting were on same page and adopted Murtala as our Major nominee for this exalted position.

“We have anchored our decision for Mutala on the following practical political reasons, first because he was Deputy Gubernatorial candidate in the last general election in 2013, and his political outreach and popular support amongst our party ranks which is not incontestable.

” Garo has the widest influence across the 44 LGAs of the state and coincidentally came from Gwarzo Kabo federal constituency where the immediate Kwankwasiyya Former Deputy Governor also came from. Again, Garo command immeasurable respect amongst our elders and the youths alike and above all couple with his political and administrative experience he is competent and qualified to hold this position”. Doguwa declared.

The lawmaker however appealed to Governor Yusuf who will naturally apply his constitutional discretion and powers to make the final decision to graciously accept the popular decision of the legacy Stakeholders