Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kano State have warned the Presidency of the travails of forced marriage in the handling of the defection of the governor of the state, Kabir Yusuf, and his godfather, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The said warning is coming on the heels of the misgivings among APC stakeholders in the state about the possible defection of the former governor of the state, Kwankwaso, alongside his political godson, Governor Yusuf.

Sources said that while stakeholders in Kano APC are not opposed to Governor Yusuf’s entry into the party, some leaders of the APC are not at home with Kwankwaso joining the fray.

The political leaders are said to have expressed the fact that allowing the former minister to join the APC could amount to a “forced marriage,” as, according to them, the existing structures in Kano APC will not be treated fairly if the former governor joins the party.

It was, however, gathered that the Presidency is insisting on Yusuf defecting alongside his godfather to ensure a clean sweep of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the state.

This development is coming on the heels of the reports that the former Kano governor would soon meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss the defection matter.

The meeting, according to sources, will take place in the immediate aftermath of a similar meeting between President Tinubu and Governor Yusuf.

Governor Yusuf had met with the president on Monday at the Presidential Villa.

Though details of the meeting were not made public, insiders in the ruling party said that the parley was aimed at perfecting the defection process for the governor and his godfather.

However, a source familiar with the development told Nigerian Tribune that President Tinubu has agreed in principle to meet Kwankwaso following his recent engagement with Governor Yusuf.

“I want to tell you that our leader (Kwankwaso) is set to meet with the President at any moment from now,” a source close to the Kwakwansiyya movement said.

Sources also indicated that Governor Yusuf may have played a key role in facilitating the anticipated meeting.

Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the NNPP in the 2023 general election, had met President Tinubu on several occasions in the past. However, reports suggest that previous discussions did not result in an agreement, largely due to conditions allegedly put forward by the former governor.

During earlier debates on the issue, Kwankwaso was quoted as saying he would not defect to the ruling party without clarity on what he and his supporters stood to gain from such a move.

An impeccable source within the APC, however, disclosed that President Tinubu is now willing to engage Kwankwaso directly to discuss the terms under which he might join the party.

When contacted in Kano, the APC chairman in the state, Abdullahi Abbas, declined to comment on the reported planned meeting between President Tinubu and Kwankwaso.

He, however, clarified the party’s position on leadership should Governor Yusuf eventually join the APC.

According to Abbas, if Yusuf defects to the APC while serving as governor, he will automatically assume leadership of the party in Kano State in line with established party practice.

“It is my personal opinion that Governor Yusuf, after joining us, becomes the leader of our party in the state, while (Abdullahi) Ganduje and possibly Kwankwaso, if they agree to defect, will serve as our political fathers,” he said.

Political observers say a meeting between President Tinubu and Kwankwaso could significantly reshape the political landscape in Kano State and beyond, given Kwankwaso’s influence and political following in the North-West.

The development around Kano’s politics is, however, said to have started generating intense debates among members of the APC across the board in the state.

Sources close to the party told the newspaper that some stakeholders are already talking about a possible “forced marriage” in the unfolding circumstance.

According to stakeholders close to the party in Abuja, party leaders in Kano are in favour of the defection of Governor Yusuf, without necessarily being joined by Kwakwanso. It was, however, gathered that the strategists in the Presidential Villa had convinced President Tinubu to insist on Kwankwaso being on the card.

Sources said that many bigwigs of the APC from the state are not in favour of Kwakwanso’s defection, because they believe that his domineering nature will twist the structure of the party against them.

A stakeholder told the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja: “Many stakeholders in the state have expressed their views that the president should allow Governor Yusuf to defect to the APC without his political godfather, Kwankwaso, but President Tinubu is insisting that he wants the former governor to also defect. We don’t understand why the president has continued to lobby the man who has not shown him love.

“We are also hearing that some stakeholders are talking of forced marriage in case Kwankwaso joins the APC. They say that there is the fear of a forced marriage because the existing stakeholders of the APC believe that they will not be treated fairly when Kwakwanso joins the structure.

A source also stated that the Villa must know the uniqueness of politics and power play in the North, adding that the position of governors is not necessarily the position of the people.

“If the stakeholders are dissatisfied with a forced marriage, it has its effects on when the people usually decide. We have seen incumbent governors defeated in Kano, Zamfara, and even Senator Aminu Tambuwal lost to the APC in Sokoto. So, it is better that the Presidency also listens and blends the opinions of local stakeholders,” the source said.

Besides the talk of a forced marriage, it was also gathered that inconclusive discussions about the governorship ambition of the Deputy Senate President, Jubril Barau, is also a source of tension in Kano politics as some sources have stated that Yusuf should be granted an automatic ticket upon his defection into the APC. (TRIBUNE)

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