The immediate past Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, is still grumbling bitterly over his sack from the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu.
Gwarzo was among the six ministers sacked by President Tinubu in the major cabinet shakeup recently.
The ex minister, who spoke on a BBC Hausa programme, said that the excuse the president gave him was that Kano was overloaded with political officers, hence the need to cut down on some people from the state.
He insisted that he wasn’t found guilty of any wrongdoing or poor performance, saying that he suspected that some people were behind the President’s decision to sack him.
He said that after President Tinubu informed him of the pending dismissal, some suggestions were made regarding his replacement, but they were ignored.
Gwarzo said that the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Kano, Nasir Gawuna should have been offered the opportunity to represent Kano Central in the federal cabinet.
“I was surprised (when I was sacked) because I wasn’t found guilty of any wrongdoing or poor performance. And I was a minister of state with the senior minister who handles a large chunk of the ministry’s activities.
“Before the announcement, the President had put me on notice 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 some people are behind this, because for me that wasn’t a valid reason.
“If it’s true that the ministerial slot will be allocated to Kano Central, we have our 2023 gubernatorial candidate, who is also our leader in Kano Central. Why not consider giving him the slot?
“Gawuna should be offered the position first, unless he declines, in which case it could be given to someone else.
“All his other colleagues who contested in other states were given positions, such as the candidates from Plateau and Zamfara states.”