Opposition senator says Tinubu’s ministerial appointee threatens his re-election

The Kano Central senator, Rufai Hanga, said the appointment of Yusuf Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development will threaten his re-election to the Senate.

Mr Hanga, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said the minister-designate, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may oppose his re-election.

The senator, the Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate, stated this on Wednesday during the screening of Mr Ata.

“The appointment of this political juggernaut threatens me because we are from the same senatorial district. He is a grassroots politician who was my ally, but that said, I’m in support of his nomination,” Mr Hanga said.

After Mr Hanga’s comment, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, commended the senator for supporting the minister-designate despite their political differences.

Kano 2027

For his part, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, said that with Mr Ata’s appointment as a minister, there is a high probability that APC will unseat Governor Abba Yusuf in the 2027 governorship election.

Mr Jibrin, the senator representing Kano North Senatorial District, noted that many residents of the state, including students and religious leaders have been commending President Bola Tinubu since he appointed Mr Ata.

“If you go to Kano, our people are praising Mr President for bringing about inclusion. The nominee is a strategist. He is known for his political sagacity. He is known by all and sundry, the youth, the Ulama, the students, women, and the business community, everybody likes him because he interacts with them freely.

“Kano will now be taken back by the APC, Insha Allah. We had a vacuum, and he will now fill it. We are grateful to Mr President in Kano. He recently gave us the North West Development Commission headquarters. Kano is grateful to Mr President. We shall continue to support your government, and we shall continue to help strengthen your desire for prosperity for this nation,” he said.

Grassroots politician

Mr Jibrin described Mr Ata as a “strong grassroots politician who started from scratch and rose to the top.”

He said the minister-designate understood the political terrain of Kano State and his appointment would help APC in the state

“Senator Kawu has said it all. He is a strong grassroots politician who started from scratch and got to the top, just as our president. We are always eager to sit with Mr President because he is open.

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“In fact, since the inception of democracy in this country in 1999, there has been no time since we have elected a president who started from scratch and has reached the top. Our president started from scratch to the top.

“That is why he knows all parts of the country. If you talk about Ebonyi State, he will tell you about its configuration. If you are talking about the state of Akwa Ibom, he is just like an encyclopedia; he will tell the names of the major stakeholders there. That is why he has decided that this gentleman (Ata) should be a minister because he understands the configuration of Kano State.”

Kawu Sumaila, the senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, also described the minister-designate as a grassroots politician.