Kwankwasiyya Spokesman Says Mustapha Kwankwaso Was Gwarzo’s Choice – Mohammed

The Kwankwasiyya Movement has denied allegations of nepotism in the emergence of Mustapha Kwankwaso as the deputy governorship candidate of Kano, insisting that his emergence was through due process and only the decision of the party’s governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.
The spokesman of the movement Habeeb Saleh Mohammed disclosed this in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

He said the criticisms trailing the nomination especially from the All Progressives Congress (APC) were borne out of misconception and personal opinion.

“First, I wouldn’t have liked to react on the reaction of APC or anybody from APC on issues concerning the choice of the deputy governor here in Kano”.

“Because whoever we pick, they’re going to have one or two things to say. “That’s politics,” he said.

It will be remembered that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) announced on Monday that the first son of its vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Mustapha Kwankwaso, would be the running mate to Gwarzo.

Prior to his nomination, Mustapha was a Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development in Kano State under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

The development has since drawn mixed reactions in political circles and social media with supporters hailing it a move towards youth inclusion, while critics including the APC claim it is a Kwankwaso plot to rule by proxy.

Giving background to the development, Mohammed disclosed that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) was the first political party that approached Kwankwaso before the finalisation of political alignments.

The party leadership met Kwankwaso while trying to plant its feet in Kano and sought his support, he said.

When they were trying to bring the party to Kano, they went to our national leader, and asked him to join. But by then he had already made up his mind to join the ADC.”

He said when the move to recruit Kwankwaso failed, the party had suggested an alternative with his son.

“They said, okay, if you are not going to join, why not let your son join us? They even said that they were ready to make him governor, said Mohammed.

But Kwankwaso, however, dismissed the idea.

He told them straight, “I’m not the kind of person that will be in one party and send his own child to another party for whatever reason.

He thanked them for the offer and told them to go ahead with their plans, whilst he moved to ADC.

Mohammed told me that later political developments, including internal problems within the ADC, had opened the way for new talks which eventually led to cooperation with the NDC and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He said the eventual emergence of Mustapha as the deputy governorship candidate was the product of a structured and grassroots-driven process.

Mohammed denied suggestions that Mustapha was promoted because of family ties.

Anyone who thinks that Gwarzo picked him due to loyalty is entitled to his own opinion. No matter what you say they will not agree. But the best thing is to spell out the manner of his coming.

The selection process, he said, started with consultations and nominations at the grassroots level where aspirants were asked to go back to their local governments for screening and endorsement by stakeholders.

Our national leader has very clearly said that tickets are not given in the centre. All aspirants were asked to go back to their local government, meet with stakeholders and be screened. It was those stakeholders who nominated candidates.”

He gave examples of aspirants who went through the process and got nominations.

Some of them took the advice and went back to their own people. For example, a candidate from Ajingi returned, engaged stakeholders and eventually got the nomination. “Same thing happened in Dawakin Kudu and other places,” he said.

He said that aspirants who did not follow the grassroots process and instead lobbied at the party headquarters did not succeed.

“Some refused to go through that process and kept trying to push themselves at headquarters. They didn’t get the nod at the end of the day,” he added.

Mohammed also disclosed that after the election of Gwarzo as the governorship candidate, he had the constitutional right to choose his running mate.

“It is the right of the candidate to select anyone he wants to work with. But even then, the choice has to be made by the stakeholders.”

He said Mustapha was first introduced to the party leadership by stakeholders but Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was not fully in support.

“When Mustapha was first presented to us, our national leader refused vehemently. “It was the candidate who took the responsibility of convincing him, that it was his personal choice.

He added that after consultations, Gwarzo insisted on Mustapha and eventually introduced him to stakeholders.

“It was Gwarzo who did the convincing and made it clear that this is the person he wants to work with. “At that point there was nothing anyone could do but accept,” he said.

Mohammed said Mustapha’s track record and ability to engage youth also played a role in the decision.

“One of the reasons cited by Gwarzo was the need to carry the youth along. Mustapha has been a commissioner of youth, has his own business and has programs that empower young people.

“He (Gwarzo) believes that having the experience and wisdom, working with someone younger will bring fresh ideas and strengthen inclusivity.

He said the whole process was internal democracy rather than favouritism.

“This is the reality of how Mustapha came about. “He was picked by the candidate in the party process, not foisted on anyone.”