My meeting with Ganduje accidental, not political – Shekarau

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Senator Ibrahim Shekarau

Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has said his recent meeting with the incumbent governor of the state, Abdullahi Gnaduje, was accidental not political as being insinuated.

Ganduje on Friday accompanied Shekarau to his house after attending funeral prayer of an popular contractor, Alhaji Sani Dahiru Yakasai, at the emir’s palace.

There were rumours after the meeting that Shekarau, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one of the directors of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council in the just concluded election, could direct his followers to vote for the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Nasir Gawuna, in the coming Saturday’s poll.

But he said in an interview with Radio France International that nothing like that would happen as the meeting was apolitical.

He said there is cordial relationship between himself and other leaders of the state, adding that he often meets with many leaders, including Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP).

The NNPP is favoured to win the Kano governorship poll in March 18 with the stronghold of Kwankwaso in the state.

Shekarau was quoted by Daily Trust as saying, “Honestly, we met because of the death of our common friend, Alhaji Sani Dahiru Yakasai. We met at the funeral prayer which held at the Emir’s palace. Immediately after the prayers, we moved to the graveyard together in his own car. After burying the corpse, the governor held my hand and said he must finish what he has started, that is to take me back to my house.

“So I thanked him and we moved together to my house. There is nothing like politics here. It was just an accident. We don’t have any serious grudges, we respect each other. Just like Kwankwaso, we often meet at airports and we greet and laugh at each other.”

On whether he met the governor behind closed doors, Shekarau said, “Oh do you want us to leave the door open while discussing? We didn’t discuss anything political. We were just discussing the death of this man and how our lives should be.”