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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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How Govs Shekarau, Sani Flee Wedding Ceremony
FROM MARTINS OLOJA,
ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF
A SUPPOSED solemnisation of matrimony in Kano the upper weekend was literally turned into a political rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
And reaction from the hierarchy of the opposing All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) was swift. The host Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau and his ANPP colleague from Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmed Sani had to vacate the venue in a hurry.
The marriage ceremony was in honour of Dr Amina Ganduje, daughter of the former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Dr Umar Abdullahi Ganduje and Dr. Ibrahim Alhassan Kabo, who works at the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano.
It held at Ganduje village, about 25 kilometres from Kano City.
The political undercurrents began to play themselves out at the venue following the arrival of the Defence Minister and former Governor of Kano State, Dr Musa Kwankwaso.
His coming caused some stormy moments as the crowd, dominated by PDP family members, went wild in jubilation.
Kwankwaso was designated the "father of the day" who was to give out Amina to her husband's family. But for inexplicable reasons, he was late to the ceremonies.
To heighten the politically charged atmosphere, Kwankwaso, in the company of Ganduje and the PDP chairman in the state, mounted an improvised platform to address the audience amidst sporadic shouts of "PDP, Power, PDP, Progress."
When Governor Shekarau noticed the strong presence of PDP stalwarts, who were bent on turning the marriage rites into a campaign rally for 2007, he conferred with his Zamfara State ANPP colleague, Ahmed Sani and pronto they "flee" from the venue.
And they were lucky to have left so early as other eminent personalities were stranded for about two hours in a traffic jam that ensued after the ceremonies.
The strong presence of the Road
Safety officers could not alleviate the logjam. But the beneficiaries were the local musicians, who were oblivious of what had kept Ganduje's special guests to watch and enjoy their theatrical display.
Because of his late arrival, Kwankwaso's position had to be assigned by the bride' father to the former Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport Alhaji Mansur Ahmed, to give out his daughter in the mosque close to the Ganduje compound.
Getting into the mosque itself was as difficult as forcing a stream to flow up-hill. Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State, Kwankwaso and other eminent guests subsequently beat a retreat when the crowd control mechanism could not ease access for them. They sat outside the mosque till the end of the brief ceremony.
An obviously elated Ganduje was to tell The Guardian afterwards that he bears no grudge against President Olusegun Obasanjo.
This clarification follows speculations that the President has apparently ignored Ganduje after the PDP lost the governorship election in Kano in 2003 to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
Ganduje's former boss, Dr Kwankwaso, who lost that position to Alhaji Shekarau of the ANPP, is currently the Minister of Defence.
But Ganduje said he could not begrudge the President for seemingly leaving him out of the ongoing dispensation.
His words: "I believe in God's time; there is time for everything. I do not bear any grudge against President Obasanjo. He cannot take care of everybody's interest.
"But I know at the appropriate time, he will remember me; the ruling PDP will remember me. You could see the crowd for my first daughter's wedding."
Ganduje was, however upbeat that "the PDP has bounced back in Kano," stressing, "all the 44 local government councils are represented here. I can't harbour any grudge against the President. I am quite sure he will remember me some day."
"The Party that endorsed me to be Deputy Governor for four years will not forget. I know that some of my supporters are getting impatient and worried. But I always tell them that there is time for everything. There are still many values to share at the federal level.
"You can see, we are now one in Kano. We lost the election in Kano because the house then was divided against itself. But now we have reconciled.
"Please, record me as saying, I bear no grudge against the President. Whatever has happened to me is one of the hazards of politics," he said.
There was a large turn out of dignitaries at the Ganduje village wedding. Apart from the host Governor Shekarau, there were Governors Odili (Rivers State), Abdulkadir Abdullahi Kure (Niger State), Sani (Zamfara State) and the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu Shinkafi.
The Governors of Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Cross River States were represented while the former Deputy Governor of
Katsina State, Alhaji Ahmed Tukur Jikamshi was there.
Among the Ministers were Kwankwaso (Defence), Ambassador Magaji Mohammed (Industries), Alhaji Adamu Bello (Agriculture), Alhaji Idris Waziri (Commerce), Col. Bala Mande (Environment), Dr. Hassan Lawal (Labour and Productivity), Dr. Saidu Samaila Sambawa, Minister of State (Internal Affairs) and Alhaji Saleh Shehu, Minister of State (Works).
From the National Assembly came Senator U.K Umar; Representatives Farouk Lawal,
Bako Sarai, Adamu Barden Tatsai and Nasiru Anduwa and the Clerk of the legislature, Alhaji Ibrahim Salim.
Other notables included retired
Brig-Gen. Haliru Akilu, AVM Muktar Mohammed; the AIG in charge of
Kano Zone, Sir K.Z. Dudari; Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Balarabe Saidu Sani, Alhaji Nuuman Barau Dambatta, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport; members of the Kano Assembly, civil commissioners and permanent secretaries and chairmen of councils areas.
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