12th February, 2018
By: Amir Abdulazeez
W
|
hen I
intended but discarded the idea of writing an open letter to Senator Rabi’u
Musa Kwankwaso few days before his botched visit to Kano, little did I know
that I was few days away from meeting him for the first time. One of the
reasons why I didn’t write that open letter was because many of my very good
friends and associates who happen to be his followers mostly consider whatever
I write on him as animosity towards him irrespective of my justifications. I
don’t know of any political figure that has many followers among my friends,
relatives and associates like the Kano Central Senator.
I have often
asked myself why virtually all Kwankwaso followers do not tolerate criticism or
take it lightly, no matter how constructive and well-intended and even if from
people who have proven to be neutral or something close to such. I got a clue
to my answer when I finally and unexpectedly met him over the weekend in his
residence.
Our group’s
visit was official and not political but going to Kwankwaso without discussing
politics is like going to the ocean and not finding water. Before the end of
our short meeting, he discussed some very significant and current political
issues.
My major
takeaway was that Kwankwaso himself, like most of his supporters don not take
criticism lightly, for he narrated to us how he had read newspaper articles
completely critical of him and his movement; he referred to such criticisms as
lies. Though he said, it was sometimes a political success to be in the news
even for negative but not so damaging reasons, for it gives you the free
publicity which others will kill to have, but I observed from his body language,
the discomfort he has towards criticism. At a point, I was so uncomfortable
myself that I was afraid he was going to make reference to me, only to be
calmed when I was able to convince myself that I must have been too tiny for
his notice.
One other
question I have kept asking since 2012 was how Kwankwaso keep getting more mass
and organic followership amidst all odds. I got my answer the moment we were
ushered into his waiting room. People from diverse demography, statuses and
backgrounds sat there waiting for him. I don’t know of any elite of Kwankwaso’s
calibre or even below it who accommodates close to that. May be there isn’t
much or perhaps because I’m not used to visiting politicians, I don’t know. But
the truth is that, Kwankwaso has long been known for giving the lowest of
people access to him even amidst the busiest of schedules. The people who
appear to be closest to him in Abuja are the same local politicians I see in
the streets of Kano.
One good
thing about people coming to him is that unlike in other cases, many of them
are not coming to receive gratification, but rather coming to pay gratitude.
While waiting to see him, we heard discussions with others who were
beneficiaries of his scholarship programmes. One of whom we met in the room,
who is now an Air Force Officer dressed in his uniform, was so excited and
happy with Kwankwaso that he stood up and greeted everyone who came to see the
Senator. When we spoke to Kwankwaso about the young lad, he grimed with smile,
the kind of which expresses a deep sense of happiness and fulfilment. The
former Kano Governor may have his flaws, but you can’t deny his passion for
human development.
One thing I
understood very well was that Senator Kwankwaso is no longer the local champion
that his distractors may want people to believe. People of political influence came
from different states to see him and even while he was attending to us, I saw
notable personalities well outside his traditional political base waiting to
see him. Besides, on my way to Kano from Abuja, I observed that at least one
out of every four commercial vehicles from diverse locations had a sticker of
Kwankwaso’s picture pasted on its back.
Sometimes, I
use to imagine the level of success, Kwankwaso’s political movement will
achieve if he had not made it very personalized and conservative. I used to believe
that if he had been more concerned about people keying into his vision more
than being interested in the type of clothes he wants to see them wear, his
movement would have been stronger.
It was once
told that, you don’t dare go to see him without a red cap on your head.
Gradually, I believe his presidential ambition and his several months out of
the Kano Government House must have soften that aspect of him; for the lack of
red caps on our heads didn’t appear to give us any disadvantage as far as his
attention towards us was concerned.
However, on
our way out of his living room just at a time when I was filled with
appreciation on how well he had received us even without white attires and red
caps, I saw a dining table which was an exhibition of a sort. From table water
to toilet paper, it carried most of the utilities you may think of branded in
the Kwankwasiyya red colour. Almost every other thing in the room was either
white or red. You may criticise the man all you want, but he’s not giving up on
his Kwankwasiyya brand any time soon.
We were very
cautious not to turn our visit into a political one, but there were two issues
I had wanted to raise in my botched open letter which Kwankwaso directly and
indirectly addressed. On his visit to Kano, he said it was carefully designed
to achieve a win-win situation which it did. If they had allowed him visit
Kano, he would have definitely demonstrated who actually has the people on his
side. If they don’t, the world would know that they are afraid of him and the
consequence of his visit. On his political future, he appears to be less
concerned about it than most of us. From the way he appears relaxed, confident
and determined, it is evident that he has a very good plan which may remain
secret for a while.
May be, I was
star stricken, but I must confess that Kwankwaso is not only a strong
personality, but a political genius as well. Apart from Buhari, I don’t know of
any politician in contemporary Nigeria who has more organic followership. What
makes his even more impressive is the shorter time it took to achieve and while
Buhari’s is more natural, Kwankwaso’s is more effort-driven. If he doesn’t get
the presidency in 2019, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying.
One of his associates
once told me that Kwankwaso’s 24 hours are virtually about politics every day.
I used to consider it as an exaggeration ever since, but considering the fact
that we left his house well after 12 midnight and he was still receiving people
without any sign of stopping soon, I began to have a second thought. By the
time I woke up in the morning after a heavy sleep and switched on my TV set
only to see Kwankwaso already in Porthacourt after such a long night, my doubts
were completely cleared.
Twitter: @AmirAbdulazeez
