Supporters of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and those of former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, have clashed in Kano, over the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The state House of Assembly, dominated by the APC, has broken into two camps, each supporting Kwankwaso and Buhari, who are leading contenders for the APC presidential ticket.
Some members of the assembly, under a group called G34, had last week, endorsed Kwankwaso for the APC presidential ticket. A member of the group, Yusuf Abdullahi Atta, however dissociated himself and some of his other colleagues from the endorsement, yesterday, declaring support for Buhari.
Kano State Deputy Majority leader, Yusuf Suleiman Babangida, who disclosed the G34 endorsement of the state governor, on Thursday, declared that the current security situation in the country requires a man with courageous disposition of Kwankwaso to handle.
“The security of state and it’s citizens which is the first obligation that the law of the land places upon leadership is deteriorating at all levels due to the collapse of the centre,” the lawmaker said.
“We the lawmakers in Kano House of Assembly, 34 of us precisely, hereby propose our leader, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Babangida noted that his group’s conviction emanated from the fact that “Kwankwaso is eligible to occupy the office of the President.”
“We therefore consider this aspiration as the taste of every progressive mind who has concerns over the state of the nation.”
However, Atta, who represents Fagge local government in the assembly, yesterday, distanced himself and some of Buhari’s loyalists during a popular radio political programme “Kowane Gauta”.
The lawmaker said Babangida’s statement did not enjoy his support and therefore urged Buhari’s loyalists to remain calm.
“For now, Kano has no candidate other than Gen. Buhari for presidency by 2015; anything short of this popular arrangements remain a deceit,” he said.
According to Atta, Kano would only consider another candidate if Buhari steps down.
=”left”>