Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state has said the state will repeat the voting pattern where it supported a Southern candidate, late Chief MKO Abiola and rejected Kano citizen, late Bashir Tofa during the 1993 presidential election.
Ganduje made the statement during a campaign tour with the All Progressives Party (APC) candidates vying for different positions for the upcoming general elections, as he visited the District Head of Kibiya, Sunusi Abubakar Ila, after holding a campaign rally and consultations in Rano and Bunkure and passing the night in Rano, the headquarter of Rano Emirate with his entourage.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, quoted the governor as saying the decision showed the state believed in national integration and competence.
According to him, “That showed political maturity and dexterity of Kano citizens. We voted for Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and rejected Bashir Othman Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) because we all believed in national integration and competence,” Ganduje said.
He reminded Nigerians that, the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has supported Northerners on different occasions to clinch the presidency hence the need to reciprocate the gesture.
“Tinubu was an instrument behind making Atiku Abubakar to become the presidential candidate of Action Congress (AC). He also provided another platform for Nuhu Ribadu to contest for the presidency under the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
“As rotational as it is, the presidential contest in the country, provides that, power rotates from North to South and vice versa.
“Asiwaju Tinubu worked very hard to maintain the equation. Hence, his support for Northern presidential candidates in the past. One good thing deserves another. We have no other option now, than to support his candidature.
“Tinubu, the only deserving and most competent presidential candidate in the upcoming election, is being supported by the North because of his (Tinubu) firm belief in nation building, all-encompassing pedigree, firm belief in human and national development among other factors,” Ganduje said.
The governor, however, introduced all other candidates vying for the positions of Senator, membership of House of Representatives and State Assembly and gubernatorial positions while boasting: “I am presenting to all, our most competent and deserving contestants, who cannot be mates to all other contestants from all other opposition parties.
