HE Garo Vs Hon Kwankwaso As Deputy Gov. Candidate(s): Xraying Dakata, Danzaki Positions
By Abba Anwar
A debate comparing the Deputy Governor His Excellency Murtala Sule Garo and Hon Mustapha Rabi’u Kwankwaso, as contestants for the position of Deputy Governor in the forthcoming election, 2027, enticed me to put my pen on paper, or rather to put my fingers on keyboard. While Garo is under the platform of APC, Kwankwaso is under the platform of NDC.
An online media programme, Siyasar Zamani (modern politics) anchored on DCL Hausa platform, that hosted two gentlemen, Comrade Kabiru Sa’idu Dakata, Director General Kano State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KASA) and Musa Gambo Hamisu Danzaki, Kano State Chairman of Kwankwasiyya Movement and candidate for State House of Assembly seat, 2027, from Gezawa constituency, under the platform of NDC.
What was so enticing was each other person’s effort to prove to all that his choice is the best. Mine is not ranking both men on scale of accuracy. What the following lines carry is my non-medical Xray of the entire debate. For the public to see and examine who the cap fits.
The anchor of the programme Usman Mu’azu’s first question asked, who among the duo, Garo and Kwankwaso fits the position of a Deputy Governor and who among them has the qualities needed?
Dakata listed many reasons why his choice is better, like competence and know how when it comes to governance. He reminded listeners that HE Garo was a local government Chairman, Kabo, and was Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs. He was also Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kano State Branch.
He kept on arguing that, many believe that HE Garo is not Kwankwaso’s match when it comes to politics and mobilization. He further argued that, what the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) got during 2023 gubernatorial election in Kano, 80 percent of those who elected APC then, did it for Garo’s sake, then Deputy Gubernatorial candidate.
Comrade Dakata reminded people that, when APC was defeated in Kano, in 2023 election, it was Garo, with very few individuals, almost singlehandedly, who has been looking after party members to the present level. “While His Excellency Garo keeps his people very close to his chest, even Kwankwasiyya elements know that, he excels in politics and mobilization,” he challenged.
I’m rest assured that, the time was not on Dakata’s side, he would have mentioned HE Garo’s fitness and competence in political strategy. This was clear when he was the State Organizing Secretary of the then People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and beyond.
Up to the time of APC’s rule in Kano, especially during former Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. HE Garo was instrumental to many strategies that brought about victory to the party against opposition parties and elements.
Dakata continued dishing out reasons and instances why and where HE Garo’s pedigree and political understanding outsmart that of Mustapha Kwankwaso. Dama mana!
When he started challenging the quality, political qualifications and competence of Kwankwaso, it almost appeared that, the former Sports Commissioner, Kwankwaso, was a mere tool in the hands of political failure.
According to Dakata, Kwankwaso did not perform at all, when the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, appointed him a Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development.
There was a time, Comrade reminded, when Governor Yusuf warned non-performing Commissioners to get set for exiting the administration, “… luckily for Honourable Mustapha Kwankwaso, Kwankwasiyya people with their leader Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso defected to ADC from NNPP. That was when Mustapha quickly and immediately resigned. He knew very well that when his report card was mentioned, he would be removed for being an inept and incompetent,” he challenged.
Part of Kwankwaso’s incompetence was his inability to position Kano Pillars well, Dakata examined. Explaining that, Pillars was about to ditch during his time as Commissioner for Sports. Also under youth development Dakata believes that the NDC running mate for the gubernatorial candidate, destroyed all hopes for youth development in the state.
It was only Governor Yusuf, in the opinion of Dakata who saved our youth from decaying when Kwankwaso was Commissioner. That was when Governor assigned the responsibility of youth development on some carefully selected five individuals. Who revived the 5 skills acquisition centres of the state.
After critically and unequivocally challenged Danzaki to produce a single reason which shows that Kwankwaso has any leadership quality or competence, he cautioned Danzaki to be very careful about his allegations against the Deputy Governor, Garo. Cautioning that he should be very cautious about his utterances against the Deputy.
When Danzaki stated that, though there is a law which says a Deputy Governor must be given a portfolio in running the affairs of the state, but still, according to Danzaki, Governor Yusuf is being cautious about it, because he doesn’t want to appoint HE Garo for fear of “mismanagement.” Dakata challenged that quickly and vehemently, challenging Danzaki to bring forth such law! And at the same time challenged Danzaki for his opinion on this.
The mother of all challenge was when Dakata looked straight into the eyes of Danzaki and asked “Was there any time when His Excellency Garo was accused of drug/substance abuse? Was there a time when HE Garo was taken back home because he was so intoxicated outside, that he couldn’t even stand firm and walk? The greatest problem facing our youth nowadays is drug abuse.”
Kano state, the way Dakata described it, “… is not that bad and cheap to have people like Mustapha Kwankwaso as Deputy Governor. This is ridiculous!
For Dakata both the gubernatorial candidate, HE Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, former Deputy Governor, and his running mate Mustapha Kwankwaso, are political liabilities. He challenged that, there was no time in recent political history of Gwarzo, when he won his local government. “How do you think such kind of person can win an election in Kano, with APC on the other hand? he asked rhetorically.
In his own part Danzaki’s arguments were largely centred on passing all manner of allegations against HE Garo. That is why this piece cannot, in any way take most of his arguments. That could be term, as character assassination of some sort. So even if it is the other gentleman, Dakata who spoke defending his choice, if he resorted to the kind of arguments, posed by Danzaki, I wouldn’t have enough to quote from him. This is the fact!
The first question directed at Danzaki on why is he of the view that Hon Kwankwaso is fit for the position and what are his qualities and competencies, did not meet immediate answers, neither were the responses aligned with the question raised. The question and the attempt made by Danzaki to respond were not palatable to each other. Their tunes were diametrically opposed to each other.
His first line of response after all the usual opening as a Muslim with prayers, he went ahead to delve into his minutes praising the gubernatorial candidate Gwarzo for picking Hon Kwankwaso as his running mate.
While doing that, he brought to the table something strange, a new normal under Kwankwasiyya ideology, when he said, it was Gwarzo who singlehandedly picked Kwankwaso as his running mate, not their Jagora, Senator Kwankwaso. A revelation that sounded strange and awesome, to both Dakata and the anchor of the programme.
Why? Because that was the first time in the history of Kwankwasiyya, when people heard that there is an important position of gubernatorial candidate’s running mate who was picked, by another person not Senator Kwankwaso. Too strange to comprehend.
That was why, in his submission, Dakata challenged that, that position was not possible under Kwankwasiyya movement. According to his statement, Senator Kwankwaso is the only one with the power of selecting, nominating, appointing and confirming any positions in the movement. He said, “Even Supervisory councilors across all the state, it is Kwankwaso who does who doesn’t, who picks who drops who constructs and who deconstructs.”
It was after many minutes of hovering around and dodging to answer how competent and qualified is Hon Kwankwaso as Deputy Gubernatorial candidate, in next year’s election, Danzaki mentioned two things as his reason for taking him as fit for the position. He said Hon Kwankwaso is committed and untiring.
He continued to argue that, whoever wants to see how capable Hon Kwankwaso is, should look at how he managed the affairs of Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, when he was Commissioner. From there he didn’t bring to the table of discussion any evidence to support his claim.
When the anchor of the programme repeated the same question in the mid of the discussion, instead of him to talk about how competent is Hon Kwankwaso, he derailed and ended up in making statements of how HE Garo was picked to become the Deputy Governor few weeks back. Making all kinds of statements without any substantial evidence or explanations.
Danzaki made so many statements that cannot be repeated here, because of the weighty nature of the allegations. They were statements that were not issue-based. I saw so many commentators in the comment section, urging HE Garo to look for clear and undoubtful evidences from Danzaki over his hard statements on his personality, also as the Deputy Governor.
When the anchor was tired of Danzaki’s dilly-dallying strategy in running away from giving reasons as to why he thinks his choice is fit for the position and is the best, he asked Danzaki the same question at the end of the programme.
In his response Danzaki said, Kwankwaso assisted over ten thousand (10,000) youth when he was Commissioner. Without mentioning under what circumstances and how did the system work that way. He also put, as part of Kwankwaso’s capacity and competence, that when he was Commissioner, he was able to be getting approvals without any delay. This, to Danzaki is part of the reasons why Kwankwaso fits.
On the over ten thousand youth assisted by the former Commissioner, Danzaki promised to bring forth the list of over ten thousand names to DCL Hausa. I therefore urge DCL Hausa to please publish the names when they got the list.
Anwar writes from Kano
Friday, 26th June, 2026