The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has suggested that the party may be open to accommodating former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, citing a moral obligation to support a “political son” in distress.
Ganduje made the statement on Tuesday at the APC national secretariat in Abuja after a private meeting with Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata. According to him, Kwankwaso, who now leads the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has been politically abandoned and could find shelter under the APC.
“When a fish is running out of water, that’s exactly what is happening,” Ganduje said metaphorically. “If the water is drying, the fish has to find its way to water. I think it is morally right to accommodate him.”
He emphasized that the APC should not turn away someone in need, suggesting that political rehabilitation within the party could be offered to Kwankwaso, who once served under the same political tent.
However, Ganduje’s openness to reconciliation was met with strong resistance from Ata, who warned that Kwankwaso’s return could destabilize the APC in Kano State. The minister described the former governor as politically irrelevant in the state and claimed that President Tinubu was already aware of grassroots sentiment regarding him.
“Kwankwaso is no longer attractive in Kano. He is coming to the APC on his own, not because we invited him,” Ata declared. “His return could trigger a crisis in the Kano APC.”
Ata further stated that the symbolic “red cap” movement associated with Kwankwaso had significantly dwindled in Kano, arguing that even in mosques where thousands gather, it’s now rare to spot a handful of supporters.
While Ata admitted he would personally oppose Kwankwaso’s inclusion, he left room for compromise—only if Ganduje, as the state and party leader, insisted on it.
Kwankwaso, a former ally turned rival of Ganduje, has yet to make a formal move to rejoin the APC. However, the debate around his potential return highlights the fragile dynamics within Kano’s political landscape and the strategic calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.
