The immediate past Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, has said that he disagreed with President Bola Tinubu over the reason for his removal.
The former Minister, who said he expressed his disagreement personally to President Tinubu, made this known to the BBC Hausa Service.
Gwarzo said contrary to insinuations, he was not removed as minister for non-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 said his suspicion was confirmed when the ministerial slot was given to Yusuf Ata instead of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 elections in Kano State, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
He said that was what was done in other states, where the governorship candidates who lost their election bid were compensated with appointments.
He further told BBC Hausa service: “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.”
