The immediate past Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, says his dismissal by President Bola Tinubu had nothing to do with performance.
Speaking with BBC Hausa Service, the former minister said he was surprised by his removal because he wasn’t found guilty of poor performance or wrongdoing.
He said, “I was surprised because I wasn’t found guilty of any wrongdoing or poor performance. And I was minister of state, with the senior minister overseeing a large portion of the ministry’s activities.
“Before the announcement, the President had informed me of his decision. He said Kano North was overloaded with political officers, hence the need to strike a balance. We gave our advice, but it was ignored. From there, I began to suspect that certain individuals were behind this because, to me, that wasn’t a valid reason.”
Gwarzo, however, said the slot given to Yusuf Ata should have gone to Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the 2023 governorship candidate in Kano.
“If the ministerial slot is indeed meant for Kano Central, we have our 2023 governorship candidate, who is also our leader in Kano Central. Why not consider giving him the position?”
“Gawuna should be offered the role first, unless he declines, in which case it could be given to someone else. All other candidates from Plateau and Zamfara states who contested for the governorships were appointed to positions,” Gwarzo added.