Nigeria is blessed and endowed with tremendous human capital, and Kano being Nigeria’s most populous state, is a reservoir of sorts for capacity, experience and expertise. Wherever anyone stands regarding His Excellency, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, he is indisputably one of Nigeria’s most experienced public servants, having partaken in varying tasks comprising local government administration, academia, party politics and governance.
The man, for those who know him closely, is a fountain that consistently pours out wisdom and knowledge.
No one is in doubt of Ganduje’s maximal commitment to the Tinubu contest for presidency. He worked tirelessly to ensure the victory of the president and never left anyone in doubt of where he stood, even before the APC primaries. He was committed, loyal and fiercely drawn out and today the big prize is in the hands of President Tinubu and his acolytes, one of whom is without doubt Ganduje.
As the Presidency settles in fully, anxiety heightens and scheming is the order of the day around the president. One must begin to wonder what runs through the president’s mind, as he seeks to be sure to place round pegs in round holes, even though political pressure will cause trade-offs to happen.
In certain cases, like that of Ganduje, I believe that handsome, due and commensurate compensation is not negotiable. This is first because politically, he has featured more prominently than any other politician at his level in the project from its inception up until victory was declared.
Secondly, Ganduje had been offered to work hand-in-hand with the PDP to project a northern sentiment, with Kano being the heartbeat, without second thoughts, Ganduje unambiguously chose to either swim or sink with Tinubu.
Furthermore, Ganduje possesses a profile that is intimidating and rich to its detail. He is equipped to provide invaluable wisdom and experience to the new government, especially as he is known to be tactical, patient and painstaking in undertaking tasks.
He will fit the most sensitive and complex roles, especially as the new government will seek to avoid conflict and ensure abidance with the rule of law. This is Ganduje’s forte, as he will excel in handling the expectations of politicians while also projecting a positive image of the government as he will delve into his duties in an indefatigable manner.
Many politicians in Kano will have comfort if Ganduje is handsomely compensated and empowered to be the glue that will keep Kano APC united. In my thoughts, I will hope that a major role in the new government is kept in his care, other than that, any other role that is non-prominent and key, may not be befitting of his profile and efforts put in to achieve this victory.
Hon. Yusuf Babangida Sulaiman, Member, Kano State House of Assembly (2011-2023)
