Tijjani Gandu is a popular Kannywood singer. In this interview with ALIYU ASKIRA in Kano, Gandu speaks on how Kannywood got embroiled in the political crisis between former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje resulting in the arrest of some of their members.
Mallam Tijjani, you took to Instagram on Friday calling on your colleagues to pray for the release of Sadiq Zazzabi. What then is your take on his prosecution?
First of all, the director of Kano State Films and Censorship Board, Alhaji Ismail Na-Abba (Afakallahu) is part and parcel of Kannywood. Thus, we expected him to understand our work better.
The allegation against Zazzabi is that he released a song ‘Maza Bayanka’ and sent it to Kano State Film and Censorship Board for clearance and he released the song into the market before the clearance was out. This is one of the charges against him. But we are reading different meaning into the entire scenario, there are several songs into the market released by some of our colleagues that are critical to senior politicians in the state.
The state government did not even bother to invite them for questioning. So we feel Zazzabi is being prosecuted because of the political rift between Governor Kwankwaso and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, but they are making a big mistake because nobody can stop us from doing or associating with any politician in or outside Kano. We campaign for Buhari and Kwankwaso before including Ganduje himself, and we will continue to do so.
Is it true that you also sent a musical video to Kano State Censorship Board for clearance and that the video is also a song in honor of former Governor Kwankwaso? If so, how do you hope to cope with the heat, seeing what is happening to your friend: Zazzabi?
Look at me very well, everything about me is Kwankwasiyya, nobody can stop me from promoting the political ideals of Dr. Kwankwaso. My song I can assure you will even offend them more than that of Sadiq Zazzabi but I was advised technically, and by my lawyers before sending the song for vetting. The thing is: whatever I said in that album did not mention anybody’s name.
I used Kaza and Rumfa, if you are not one of the two, you cannot complain that I insulted you or defame your character. What I want to achieve with my song is to correct the impression that my political mentor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso did not perform when he was governor of Kano state.
In the said song, I talked about his road projects, housing projects, foreign scholarship programme, women empowerment, Hisbah mass marriage, free education programme, building of beautiful fly-overs in Kano, setting up of universities namely: Northwest University, University of Science and Technology, wudil and several other projects scattered across the state. Since those that succeeded him want to erase the kwankwasiyya revolution, we decided to document everything in perspective.
The present Governor is also campaigning for second term, are you people going to support him through your music?
There is now a new acronym: ‘Gandujiyya’ and we are ‘Kwankwasiyya’. Already, they are fighting us at all level so quote me come 2019, whoever Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso present to us is the one we will vote for, right from counselors to the presidency. We used to be in the same camp before, but some people feel that to go to media houses to insult the former governor is the only way Ganduje could give them appointment or money. We the supporters of the former Governor are satisfied with his achievements which have changed the face of Kano in all sectors of life.
As such, we don’t need to go to him again for money or anything. I am sad as I speak that our colleague will spend the week end in prison, we miss him, his family too will miss him. His supporters are also praying for him and by the Grace of God today Monday, some of us will be at the Court premises to ensure that they give him bail but we are to be as peaceful as civilized people.
The last time I interviewed you, you mentioned that you got things like popularity, fame, money, house, car, and even a woman you married as a result of your masterpiece: ‘Yar Maye’ album. Do you have other things to tell us?
Truly, I spent about three hundred thousand naira to produce ‘Yar Maye’ album which was directed by Sadiq Mafia. Notably, good things have been happening to me ever since.
I pray that my new musical video which I talked about Kaza and Rumfa will be a real hit and I hope to reap a serious fortune from it; that is if the Censorship Board people did not also take me to prison too, because most of the things they accused my friend Zazzabi of are also in my album even though I was careful in choosing my words. ‘Yar Maye’ has opened lots of opportunities for me and I am grateful to God, I am still young, I can still go back to the university and get my degree.
I have one wife and one daughter, she is always wearing red: the kwankwasiyya trademark. So, as far as I am concern, the sky is my limit and I will continue to support Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his political aspirations.
