The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa (APC, Kano) has alleged that the Kano State deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maritala Garo, is supporting the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.
Mr Doguwa, during a press briefing on Friday, said Mr Garo, who is married to Walidah Atiku, is working for his father-in-law after failing to get the governorship ticket.
Mr Garo married Atiku’s daughter in 2016 in Yola.
The lawmaker alleged that Mr Garo, a former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, confided in him that he would rather be an in-law to a president than become a deputy governor, a position that is akin to a governor’s messenger.
“His last wife is the daughter of Atiku Abubakar. When he was not given the ticket, I visited him, and he told me that since you have messed me up, since the system has undermined what I did for the party, I will rather become an in-law to a president than a deputy governor that will make me just like a messenger.
“This is the disposition of the boy. What he is doing today – to God who created me — he has no faith in working for APC, he is working to become an inlaw to a president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which I believe will never happen. The president of FRN is Muhammadu Buhari. The incoming president to take over from Buhari is Senator Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Mr Doguwa did not present any evidence of his accusation.
Mr Garo did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ request for comment. He did not respond to calls and a text message that was sent to him.
Mr Doguwa’s allegation is coming amid the latest crisis that is brewing in APC Kano.
He is too young to order me around
During Friday’s briefing, Mr Doguwa said the deputy governorship candidate, who is 38 years old, is too young to be giving him orders.
He added that Mr Garo is displeased with him because he refused to put his picture in any of his campaign paraphernalia.
“He was nursing governorship ambition, but God knows that with Murtala Garo, Kano would have been in trouble.
“His age is on the low side, his experience is on the low side. I am not saying that he is not qualified to be a governor or to run for governorship; somebody who is not up to half of age.”
Kano, the largest state in northern Nigeria, has also had the highest turnout of voters in recent general elections.