A sustained period of hot debate ensued on Wednesday at the floors of the Nigerian senate over the face-off between Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and former governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, which continues to tear the Kano politics apart.
The senators, who tried to stay away from what they described as “a family affair”, however said the Inspector General of Police must provide adequate security for the senator to visit his constituents.
Ruling on the matter, the senate president, Bukola Saraki, said having listened to the man at the centre of the crisis, the matter could be termed an internal family affair.
Mr Saraki said in all the states of the federation, there are “internal political crisis” which should not be debated at the chambers of the senate, and therefore referred the matter to the Kano Assembly for its amicable resolution.
Mr Saraki then asked the senate’s police affairs committee to summon the police IG and explain why they could not provide the Senator the adequate security for the visit of his constituency.
The matter was first brought by Isa Hamma Misau, an APC member from Bauchi, who inclined the necessity of his motion to the gory pictures of arms brandishing circulating on social media regarding the happening in Kano in the last two days.
Mr Misau told the senate that if a senator could not be allowed to visit his constituents, “then we are not being fair to ourselves.”
He said what has been circulating in social media “is very dangerous” as it was becoming a trend of “Yan Daba” period that has long foregone in the state.
He said as a senator from Bauchi, which shares border with Kano, he became concerned as to the development in the state, which informed his decision to bring it to the senate.
He asked the senators to condemn the action of the state governor, whom he accused of promoting the trend and prayed that an investigation be launched by the senate.
But soon after his submission, a senator from Kano, Kabiru Gaya flayed Mr Misau’s claims, saying that throughout their campaign days in Kano, there was not a single incidence of crisis.
He said the matter, being “a family matter” would be resolved back in the state and already machineries are in action towards its resolution.
On his part also, Barau Jibrin, also from Kano, wondered why a Bauchi state senator would bring a matter of Kano when all the senators have one issue or the others with their state governors.
Mr Jibrin, who described Misau’s action as “a dangerous trend” called on the senate president to stop the motion so as not to set the precedence to other senators.
He said “it doesn’t augur well” for the senate to discuss the matter as it has already assumed a political colouration, when “PDP is supporting one side against the other side.”
The senate’s session was intense as the debate went on, with intermittent jeers and applause greeting each submission by the senators.
