The chairman of Kano State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, Saturday in Kano, declared that he signed the statement indicting former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso under duress.
Doguwa also claimed that he addressed the media condemning his former principal under the same condition.
Kwankwaso was indicted by the elders and leaders of the party for allegedly sponsoring thugs and hirelings, who employed hate and vulgar languages during his recent condolence visit to Ganduje Village to commiserate with Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the death of his mother.
Recanting his statement, he explained, “that the previous press statement read and signed by me was not written by my humble self, neither did I participate in the drafting, but rather, I was coerced to sign it under duress and under close marking by the state apparatus.
“What makes it more curious for me to recant the statement is the fact that the Elders Committee is not a part of the party executive, hence, procedurally, we cannot issue a joint statement. I therefore, consider this as an oversight on the part of the party to issue such statement.”
According to the state party chairman, the executive arm of the government “has confused purely social event with politics. The visit by the former governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to fraternize and condole his former deputy and now the executive governor of our great state has been politicized out of proportion.”
Doguwa noted that other politicians, including those from the opposition parties who came to the venue of the condolence, even though, with handful of followers exhibited similar activities which Senator Kwankwaso was accused of.
“In order to forestall unpleasant consequences on the party and its teeming supporters, I find it necessary to profusely apologize on the statement earlier issued and I hereby withdraw that statement,” he stated.