Kano State: Ganduje says APC will defeat PDP by wide margin

MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH/Kano

Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, and Deputy Governor of Kano state, northwest Nigeria on Monday boasted that the party will record 100 per cent victory in the state touted as the second most populous in the country.

Ganduje who spoke to journalists in Kano during an interactive session in his office, also declared that the victory of the Presidential candidate of the party, General Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 general elections is sure, citing calamitous leadership allegedly run by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the centre.

From Ganduje’s calculations, APC is ready to sweep the 40 House of Assembly seats, 24 House of Representatives seats, three Senatorial seats and the governorship seat in Kano, adding that Buhari’s victory, particularly in Kano is 100 per cent.

In his words, “the die has been cast, we are ready for the race and, Insha Allah, and we shall succeed. For our President in-waiting, General Muhammadu Buhari, we are working very hard to give him the maximum votes here in Kano.
“If possible, all those who registered, even those who are not in APC, we are begging them, we are soliciting for their support, we are appealing for them to vote for our president because of the different short-comings in the country, different man-made calamities in the country, we require somebody who is upright, somebody has the political will, somebody who is strong, somebody who can fight injustice—no matter what will happen to him and to any other person. So, we shall continue to do that to ensure that we contribute our quota being the most populous state in the federation. We want to lead in giving him (Buhari) the maximum vote, may God help us.

“We are also working very hard to ensure that all our candidates will be able to make it in the forth-coming elections. For the governorship, Insha Allah, we shall celebrate, we shall rejoice together, but we have to work hard before that time. Here in Kano, the issue is continuity, the issue is consolidation—consolidation with new innovations, consolidation with ideas and consolidation with a lot of planning and calculations.

“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano state, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has done a very excellent job in Kano state, hence, there is a need to consolidate and complete those projects that we may not be able to complete within the period of this administration; but to go beyond that, we need to introduce new innovations in critical infrastructure in Kano state.”

He also spoke on his agenda for the state if elected saying, “we have done a lot in education. My administration, Insha Allah, will consolidate and lay emphasis on qualitative education; because looking at the quality of education all over the country, I am sure you can agree with me that everything is appalling. If you look at the WAEC result and NECO results, you find out that the whole country is appalling in this sector. So, quantity without quality is like tea without sugar.

“So, we shall ensure that there is quality in the system; and of course in terms of quantity, we shall continue to improve it; and we are even attacking it from so many fronts—even those who are beyond school age are included. We shall be more and more very serious on the introduction of adult education so that we capture all those that cannot read and write will be able to do so,” he stated.
He added that his administration will centre more provision of stable power supply under Independent Power Project, IPP, road construction, rebuilding Kano to a mega-city, integrated rural development, boosting the agricultural sector and increasing Internally Generated Revenue IGR.

Commenting on the fracas generated by the choice of his running-mate, Dr. Hafiz Abubakar, Ganduje said the party leadership in the state has persuaded aggrieved candidates who jostled for the position of running-mate, “and I can confirm to you that they are coming back to the fold.

“Yes, the selection of my running-mate created outcry from some contestants which is normal in politics. The office of running-mate is not an office for open contest. It is done according to the rules and regulations of the party.

“The candidate chooses his running-mate, but must consult widely. So, this is a no-go-area, we know the parameters, attributes and attitudes—all these have to be put together in order to have a workable team.

“But take it from me that all of them who expected to be appointed as my running-mate were duly qualified but we have to take only one out of them. I have made contacts with them because they are very very important and they have a very big role to play. They are still members of APC and I am personally heading the team to appeal to them publicly and privately,” he concluded.