Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said on Friday that the chances of President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s elections remain formidable as they have always been over the years.
Ganduje told former Abia State governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu who visited him in Government House,Kano that Buhari has “ never lost election in Kano, even when he was in the opposition.”
“At one time, we were in government, and he was in the opposition, and Buhari won his election here in Kano. Since he started politics in Nigeria, he has not lost election in Kano,” Gnaduje said.
“So, this time around, his chances are much higher because before he was in one party and the state government was in another party. But this time around, he is the Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under APC and I am the governor of Kano state and I am in APC.
“So, you can see all the variables that can make him win election are rightly placed here in Kano. So, we know there is no vacancy for any presidential candidate in the Villa except Buhari.
“For your information, it was here in when Buhari came for a two-day state visit where we were holding a meeting of stakeholders and we told him that we will take him to court if he decided not to contest election. And luckily enough, he escaped our litigation. He succumbed to our request and our pledge and he accepted to contest election.
“So, a state that offered that kind of threat and he accepted to contest election is a Buhari state. Secondly, Kano state has the highest number of delegates. We have over 400 delegates for the convention and any primary, so, you can see that Kano is a minimum of three states together.
“So, you can see how important we are. Luckily enough, Buhari is Kano and Kano is Buhari. I think that is the political language here.”
Kalu claimed those opposing Buhari’s re-election want Nigeria to return to pre-2015 when treasury looting became the norm.
“They don’t want us to save money for the poor people. There cannot be Christmas and Sallah every day. We don’t have Sallah every day. They have looted enough; they should allow the masses to benefit,” he said.
“So, this is why we are here. We will continue to ask you (Ganduje) not to leave President Buhari. He is our President and we are going for four plus four equals to eight. And also for you, four plus four is equal to eight.” (The Nation )
