France: Ganduje kicks over leaked audio questioning Tinubu/Kwankwaso meeting

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Kano State Government on Sunday described as mischievous the publication of a phone conversation between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and a senior member of the ruling party in the state, Ibrahim Masari.

In the leaked audio, Ganduje and Masari were speaking about a recent meeting between the president-elect, Bola Tinubu and the former presidential candidate of the opposition New Nigerian Peoples Party, (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Paris, France.

The meeting came barely days before the inauguration of Tinubu as president.

Kwankwaso and Ganduje were allies but have been political foes for over five years. While Ganduje actively supported Tinubu’s election, Kwankwaso, also a former Kano governor, contested against Tinubu.

In the leaked telephone conversation, Ganduje expressed dissatisfaction about the meeting and complained about being sidelined by Tínubu.

Reacting to the leaked audio, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Muhammad Garba, said the ‘exaggerated’ publicity given to the audio was the handiwork of paid agents, who he claimed are trying to use it to cause disaffection between Ganduje,

Masari and Tinubu.

“From all indications some people who are not comfortable with the existing long cordiality between Tinubu, Ganduje and Masari are bent on exploiting the situation to their advantage.

“The governor and the president-elect have since realised this mischievous attempt to cause disaffection between them.”

The Kano spokesperson said Tinubu and Ganduje “would not allow the sound working relationship, which has been waxing stronger, particularly at this critical time, to be destroyed by some self-centred individuals.”

Garba called on members of the APC and the general public to disregard such an attempt, and remain calm and loyal to the party to ensure the successful inauguration of the presidentelect.

The Hon Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle), with the President of Professional Statistician Society of Nigeria Professor Waheed B .Yahaya (3rd right) and other members of the Society during their courtesy visit to the Minister recently in Abuja .