TheCable

The Kano state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to sanction Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of the state, for declaring interest in the 2019 presidential election.

Kwankwaso, who came second among the five aspirants that contested the 2015 presidential primary of the ruling party, is currently a senator.

The party had asked all those who lost the primary to join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari, who emerged its flagbearer.

However, during a condolence visit to Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano and his two-time deputy, who lost his mother, Kwankwaso showed that he was still interested in partaking in the presidential race.

His supporters were alleged to have distributed campaign materials of his presidential ambition.

Reacting at a joint press conference on Thursday, Haruna Doguwa, chairman of the APC in the state, said the Kano chapter of the party remained loyal to Buhari.

“The state executive committee and elders jointly condemned the character and texture of Kwankwaso’s condolence visit to Kano and its portent objective as a launch pad of his presidential ambition which was wholly unfounded,” he said.

“We wish to state categorically that there is no presidential vacancy in the first place. Our loyalty and commitment is to our able President Muhammadu Buhari and his policies and programmes.

“The party and its leadership hierarchy, as enshrined in APC constitution, must be respected at all times by party members in respective of their position.

“The party leader today in Kano is nobody but Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, who also must be respected by every person.

“The party would leave no stone unturned in ensuring discipline, orderliness and loyalty as prescribed by the constitution of the APC.

“The case of party indiscipline committed by Senator Kwankwaso will be thoroughly investigated and dealt with in accordance with the constitution of the party.”

Doguwa accused Kwankwaso of hiring thugs to foment trouble, saying Kwankwaso’s “hired crowd” destroyed some installations at the Aminu Kano International Airport.

“When the hired crowd was denied access to the airport premises, they climbed over fences, breaking the iron barriers and destroying the Security scanners. All the pictures are available for confirmation,” he said.

“Also, the hired thugs were busy distributing presidential campaign posters, car stickers reading Kwankwassiya 2019, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for President, and so on.”