Minister Vows to Secure Kano for APC in 2027
Yusuf Ata, the newly appointed Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, has vowed to reclaim Kano State for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections. Ata made this commitment during his first visit to Kano after assuming office, emphasizing that his appointment was politically motivated with the aim of regaining control of the state.
Ata explained, “My mission is to return Kano to APC control, particularly in the Kano Central area, which is where I come from. Although I have been assigned to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, my political focus remains on Kano. I will be visiting the state every week to ensure that the APC regains dominance by 2027.”
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the appointment, stating that it was not just for his personal benefit, but for the people of Kano and Nigeria at large. Ata assured the President that APC would emerge victorious in Kano come 2027, reinforcing his commitment to the party’s political goals.
The appointment follows the dismissal of Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, the former Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, as part of a recent cabinet reshuffle. In an interview with BBC Hausa, Gwarzo criticized the decision to replace him with Ata, calling it a politically motivated choice. He argued that Nasiru Gawuna, the APC’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate in Kano, should have been given the position to strengthen the party’s presence in the Kano Central senatorial district.
Gwarzo denied that his removal was due to poor performance, instead attributing it to internal political maneuvering within the party. He explained that the President had informed him about the reshuffle, citing an imbalance of political officers from Kano North as the reason for the change. However, Gwarzo expressed skepticism about the validity of this explanation, suggesting that political figures in Kano were behind his removal.
“Before the reshuffle, I was not notified of any specific shortcomings in my performance,” Gwarzo said. “If the position was to be reassigned to Kano Central, why not give it to our 2023 gubernatorial candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, who is also a key figure in the region?”
He further added that Gawuna, like other gubernatorial candidates from different states, deserved the opportunity to be appointed, unless he chose to decline the position. Despite his disappointment, Gwarzo stated that he had accepted the President’s decision and would continue to support the administration moving forward.
