The Kano State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) and former state Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have exchanged war of words over federal government palliatives to the state.
Recall that on Monday, 9 September, 2024, Kwankaso, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, accused the Federal Government of undermining constitutional democracy by excluding the state from the recent distribution of rice palliatives to 36 other states of the federation.
He expressed disappointment that Kano’s share was instead “handed over to members of the All Progressives Congress”, while calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and stop what he described as “a blatant act of partisanship.”
The NNPP chieftain stated this statement in a post on X platform, using @KwankwasoRM on Monday, 9 September, 2024.
“For the last one week, I have been in Kano, and sadly I noted with great disappointment the Federal Government’s distribution of rice palliative to 35 states all through their Governors, except Kano State in the whole federation,” Kwankaso said.
But the APC in the state in a response through a statement by its chairperson, Abdullahi Abbas, said the Federal Government was committed to reducing hardship in the country, but the NNPP administration in Kano was frustrating the efforts.
Abbas said President Bola Tinubu approved several palliative measures for poor households and vulnerable individuals, but those assigned to distribute them in Kano were allegedly diverting the resources.
The APC chairperson, who accused senior NNPP government officials of involvement in the diversion, called on Kwankwaso to instruct his ‘anointed’ governor, Abba Yusuf, to investigate those incidents and ensure that the perpetrators account for the missing palliatives and face prosecution.
Abbass also accused Kwankwaso of being economical with the truth when he said that the distribution exercise was solely left to the APC.