Kehinde Fajobi
Former Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, has claimed his dismissal by President Bola Tinubu was politically driven rather than related to his performance in office.
Gwarzo suggested that Nasiru Gawuna, the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kano State, should have been appointed as his successor.
Gwarzo’s remarks come after the appointment of Yusuf Ata as the new minister.
On October 23, 2024, a statement from the State House announced that Gwarzo, along with four other ministers, had been dismissed.
Others affected included Uju-Ken Ohanenye (Women Affairs), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Prof. Tahir Mamman (Education), and Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Youth Development).
In an interview with BBC Hausa on Saturday, November 9, 2024, Gwarzo explained, “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.”
Gwarzo added that the President had informed him beforehand, stating that Kano North was overloaded with political officers, which he said was an attempt to balance regional representation.
“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,” he said.
Gwarzo argued that if the ministerial slot is indeed intended for Kano Central, Gawuna, as the APC leader in that region and the former governorship candidate, should be prioritised.
“Gawuna should be offered the role first, unless he declines, in which case it could be given to someone else,” he stated, adding that other APC governorship candidates from Plateau and Zamfara who ran in 2023 have been appointed to similar positions.