Senator Rufai Sani Hanga, who represents Kano Central Senatorial District, has explained why he fell out with former Kano State Governor and Kwankwasiyya leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Hanga said their relationship became strained because of disagreements over his empowerment programmes and political activities.
Speaking in an interview with online television platform Dan’uwa Rano TV, the senator said Kwankwaso became unhappy after he organised a large empowerment programme for his constituents.
Hanga said he distributed vehicles, rice, fertiliser, grinding machines, livestock and other items during the programme.
He said the disagreement became worse because the event was held at a venue linked to Kwankwaso, who had initially agreed to attend the programme.
According to Hanga, the venue was filled with vehicles, bags of rice, fertiliser, livestock and other items. He said it took about one and a half days to move the materials to the venue.
Hanga recalled that Kwankwaso appeared unhappy when he arrived at the event.
He said the former governor asked those present to take a break for prayers before leaving the venue, but did not return.
The senator said the programme continued in the presence of several political figures, including former Kano Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, Wada Sagagi, Batayya, Nasiru Gawuna and some members of the National Assembly.
Hanga said Kwankwaso later confronted him over the event, accusing him of organising it to receive praise from the public for his performance as a senator.
“He said, ‘You came distributing things because people are praising you, saying Kano Central has never had a senator like you. You could not even bring the items to us to distribute. You gave me 50 bags of rice, 50 bags of fertilizer, and three cows. Am I hungry, or do I not have them? That is why I refused to come back after prayers,’” Hanga quoted Kwankwaso as saying.
The senator said he apologised and promised to address whatever misunderstanding existed between them.
However, Hanga said Kwankwaso had previously sent people to ask that certain individuals be included among beneficiaries of his empowerment programmes.
He also alleged that Kwankwaso sent Sunusi Surajo Kwankwaso to ask him to provide a vehicle for a beneficiary from Shanono, which is outside Kano Central Senatorial District.
Hanga said he eventually bought the vehicle after being told that the beneficiary’s car had been damaged in an accident during Kwankwaso’s political campaign.
“I told him that whoever he wanted us to assist, we were ready to do so,” Hanga said.
He said the incident made him realise that the mutual respect that had existed between him and Kwankwaso was beginning to disappear.
“That was when I realized disrespect had set in. He has treated others this way, but he had never done it to me until that moment. I told myself that since he started acting this way toward me, it was a mark of disrespect and things would not end well between us,” he said.
Hanga also said Kwankwaso was unhappy with the size of his empowerment programmes and his growing public profile.
“He was simply not happy with what I was doing—the distributions and the empowerment schemes,” he said.
The senator linked his failure to secure a return ticket to the worsening relationship, describing Kwankwaso as the “Jagora” (leader) of the movement.
“The reason I did not get a ticket was because ‘Jagora’ Kwankwaso was unhappy with my performance and activities,” Hanga said.
