By Abiola Olawale
The immediate past Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, has said his sack by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was politically motivated.
Gwarzo, who spoke during an interview session with the BBC Hausa claimed that his sack was not due to poor performance but due to politics.
The New Diplomat reports that Tinubu on October 23, 2024, carried out a cabinet reshuffle.
Tinubu sacked Gwarzo alongside four other ministers. The other sacked ministers are the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju-Kennedy Ohanenye; Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John; Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman; and the Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim.
Reacting to the development, Gwarzo said the president informed him that his sack was because of uneven political appointments in Kano State.
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.
He added; “From there, I began to suspect that certain individuals were behind this because, to me, that wasn’t a valid reason.”
Gwaro further argued that the slot given to Yusuf Ata should have gone to Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State.
He continued: “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.”
