By Editor
Hon. Muhammad Sanusi Kiru’s latest essay on “political realignment” is a masterclass in linguistic deception. He speaks of a “broad-based, inclusive handshake” and a “historic movement” of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf into the APC. But beneath the flowery prose of “recalibration” lies a much darker reality: the systematic attempt by a displaced political class to stage a hostile takeover of a mandate they could not win at the ballot box.
Kiru’s defense of the transition committees where sitting loyalists are subordinated to the “veterans” of the Ganduje era is the first stage of this Trojan Horse strategy. It is not an invitation to collaborate; it is a siege.
The Infiltrators’ Manifesto
Kiru claims it is no longer “business as usual.” On this point, we agree but for very different reasons. For the people of Kano, “business as usual” was the era of the very “veterans” Kiru now insists must lead us. To place Muhammad Garba at the head of a committee over the sitting Commissioner, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, is a signal that the old guard intends to dictate the terms of the Governor’s new political journey.
This isn’t an “inclusive handshake”; it is a grip designed to pull the Governor away from the grassroots movement that birthed his administration. Kiru and his fellow “seasoned associates” aren’t joining the Governor; they are trying to absorb him.
Weaponizing the APC Merger
The Governor’s move to the APC was a strategic decision for the development of Kano, intended to align the state with the federal center. However, characters like Kiru are weaponizing this merger to settle old scores. They are using the “APC” label as a shield to justify the displacement of loyal cabinet members who stayed in the trenches while these “veterans” were comfortably enjoying the spoils of the previous administration.
Kiru’s suggestion that certain individuals should “prepare themselves for a landscape where government and party positions will be increasingly open to reconstitution” is a blatant threat. It is the language of an occupier, not a partner. He is essentially telling the Governor’s original team: “We are here now, and we are taking your seats.”
Loyalty vs. Opportunism
Kiru lectures us on “loyalty to the Governor’s vision.” But where was Kiru’s loyalty when the “New Kano” vision was being forged in the heat of the 2023 elections? Ibrahim Waiya and the current cabinet were the ones who defended that vision against the very people Kiru now calls “indispensable authorities.”
For Kiru to now demand that these loyalists “distance themselves” from their grievances is the height of political hypocrisy. He wants the silence of the lambs so the wolves can feast in peace.
Conclusion: Beware of the Gift Bearers
The “inclusive approach” Hon. Kiru champions is a trap. It is a mechanism to reinstall the same figures whose administrative styles the people of Kano emphatically rejected. A handshake that requires you to surrender your dignity and your rank isn’t a gesture of peace it’s a demand for surrender.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf must see through this smoke screen. The “veterans” are not here to build his legacy; they are here to rebuild their own lost empires. If the Governor allows this Trojan Horse to be pulled into the heart of his administration, he may find that the “historic realignment” ends with him becoming a guest in his own Government House.
Written By: Musa Adamu Bichi