By Kamil Opeyemi
The immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has slammed his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over the demolition of properties by Governor Yusuf Abba’s government.
Kwankwaso was the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, the same platform that ousted Ganduje’s All Progressives Congress in Kano State.
The former governor claimed that less than 72 hours after the inauguration of Governor Abba Yusuf, four properties erected based on a public-private partnership arrangement were demolished by the government.
He expressed disappointment over the ill-motivated moves by the current administration, saying it hampers development.
The battle between the All Progressives Congress, whose candidate lost the governorship election, and the NNPP took an ugly turn recently.
In what the APC had termed a political backlash, Yusuf, in his inauguration speech on May 29, gave a marching order to security agencies in Kano to immediately repossess all public properties believed to have been sold by the Ganduje administration.
He alleged that they were illegally acquired and built.
Some of the structures demolished include Haji camp, Daula Hotel and shopping complexes around the Eid Prayer Ground in Kano, structures Ganduje said were products of public-private partnerships.
Ganduje while addressing state house correspondents shortly after his meeting with President Tinubu alleged his former boss for directing Aliyu to carry out what he termed a vengeful campaign against the previous administration.
Ganduje, who also served as Kwankwaso’s deputy, said he could have slapped the NNPP chieftain if the duo met at the Presidential Villa where they separately went to visit President Bola Tinubu.
“I know he (Kwankwaso) is in the building but we have not met. Probably if we met, maybe I could have slapped him,” he said