27th April, 2011
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is leading in the governorship election results. As at the time of filing this report about 42 out of 44 local government areas have been counted.
Though the figures are sketchy, P.M.NEWS authoritatively gathered that the PDP has won in 25 local government followed by ANPP in 17 local governments
There are strong indications that the former governor of Kano State, and also a former Defence Minister, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is coming back to the government.
He was the state governor from 1993 to 2003 when he staged a second term but he was defeated by the incumbent, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.
Again, in 2007, Kwankwaso secured his PDP ticket to contest the governorship election but there was controversy fuelled by the party’s internal crisis and a white paper on him by Shekarau in 2003.
Kwankwaso then withdrew from the race in 2007 due to what he described as personal reasons and handed over the ticket to Ahmed Garba Fiji, former Minister of state for Commerce whom Shekarau defeated in 2007.
As it is, Kano State is witnessing a change of government. According to political pundits, Kwankwaso may be coming back to government to avenge his defeat in 2007 by Shekarau.
Both of them have been political enemies since the year 2000. Shekarau resigned from the public service in protest over his redeployment from his position as permanent secretary to classroom teacher by then Governor Kwankwaso.
As at press time, Kano State has remained calm as people await the official pronouncement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The ANPP governorship candidate, Sabir Takai was imposed by Shekarau. His deputy, Mohammed Gwarzo decamped to ACN in the heat of the succession crisis that hit the ANPP. He was also alleged to be romancing with PDP.
Even with the Buhari phenomenon in Kano State, the CPC performed very poorly in the governorship election.
—Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano