A former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday said he would have slapped his predecessor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, if he met him in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He spoke while briefing newsmen after he met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, where he went to formally complain over the security situation in Kano following the demolition exercise being carried out by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
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He was reacting to a question on whether he also met his predecessor, Kwankwaso, who was equally reported to have been around the Villa.
“I know he is in the building but we have not met. Probably if we met, maybe I could have slapped him,” he said.
Apparently enraged over the new governor’s action, Ganduje said the demolition exercise was done without investigation or due notice in line with the provisions of Land Use Act.
The former governor said he spoke at length on the issue while reporting the matter to the president, adding that he had also petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, showing video evidence of sundry misdemeanor including looting and other forms of vandalisation that trailed the demolition.
Ganduje said he had briefed the president on the demolition exercise, saying the governor, whom he described as a “stooge” of Kwankwaso, was no longer happy because of the condemnation that greeted the move.
Asked to give figures to properties lost to the demolition exercise, he said some human rights organisations were already working to get accurate records of the level of damage.
He, however, said some developers who were affected had sued the government, demanding over N10 billion.
Recall that the state governor had said the demolition exercise was part of the fulfilment of his campaign promise to “restore” the urban development master plan of the city.
He also insisted that the exercise was not a vendetta against the past administration of Ganduje, adding that demolition of more illegal structures would continue.
Reacting after a closed door with Tinubu, Kwankwaso dismissed all the allegations, claiming that most of the buildings demolished were illegally acquired by the Ganduje administration.
Kwankwaso, who was joined by Senator-elect, Abdulmumini Jibrin, stated that his party had pledged to demolish such structures during their campaign.
On speculations of accepting a ministerial position from the Tinubu administration, Kwankwaso admitted that talks were ongoing about the possibility.
He also dismissed rumors of contemplating defection to the ruling APC, stressing that Tinubu was more focused on a government of national unity.