AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, ALHAJI ABBA KABIR YUSUF, GOVERNOR OF KANO STATE AND LEADER OF THE APC IN KANO STATE
A Call for the Constitution of a Committee of APC Elders in Kano State Under the Leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON, Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
By: Dr. Sagir S. Buhari, FCIA
Your Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf,
I respectfully write this open letter to you with an open heart and as a loyal member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kano State. As the APC faces internal challenges, I am aware that you have been making efforts to ensure that the party becomes more united, stronger and better prepared for the challenges ahead.
It is against this background that I respectfully appeal to Your Excellency, as the Governor of Kano State and leader of the APC in the state, to constitute a Committee of APC Elders and Stakeholders in Kano State, under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON, former Governor of Kano State and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress. The purpose of the committee would be to promote reconciliation, consultation, understanding and unity within the party.
A committee of respected elders and stakeholders can provide a platform where political differences can be discussed peacefully, grievances can be addressed and bridges can be built among individuals and groups within the party. The committee should not replace the statutory organs or leadership structures of the APC; rather, it should complement them by providing the wisdom, experience and guidance of respected elders to strengthen the party.
I particularly recommend Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON, to lead the proposed committee because of his extensive political experience at both the state and national levels. He is a former Deputy Governor and Governor of Kano State and also served as National Chairman of the APC. His knowledge of Kano’s political environment and his experience within the national leadership of the party position him well to contribute to reconciliation and unity.
More importantly, Your Excellency, you have a long history of political association with Dr. Ganduje and a good working relationship with him. He supported you when you joined the All Progressives Congress and recognised you as the leader of the APC in Kano State in your capacity as Governor. Dr. Ganduje also has a good working relationship with your Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Hon. Murtala Sule Garo, as well as with the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Yusuf, and other APC leaders at both the state and national levels. These relationships could be valuable in promoting dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation within the party.
The proposed committee should be broad and inclusive, bringing together respected APC elders, former political office holders, serving leaders and other stakeholders with significant experience and influence. We are also fortunate that Kano State has three distinguished former Governors associated with the three senatorial zones: Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, associated with Kano North; Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, associated with Kano Central; and Senator Kabiru Gaya, associated with Kano South. Each of these leaders has governed Kano State and brings considerable political experience, knowledge and understanding of the state. Their collective experience and perspectives can be valuable in promoting dialogue, reconciliation and unity within the APC and, ultimately, in advancing the interests of Kano State.
As we approach the 2027 general elections, the APC in Kano State must avoid unnecessary internal divisions. Differences between old and new members should not be allowed to become a source of permanent conflict. There should be a mechanism through which grievances can be discussed and resolved before they develop into major political problems. The proposed committee could promote reconciliation, bring old and new members closer together, encourage regular consultation, strengthen cooperation between political leaders and grassroots members, promote peaceful political competition, and advise the party leadership on matters affecting unity and stability.
Your Excellency, your entry into the APC provides an opportunity for a new beginning. The party now has an opportunity to bring together people who previously belonged to different political camps. The old APC members should not feel threatened by the arrival of new members, while the new members should respect those who built the party before them. Both sides need one another, and the experience of established leaders should be combined with the energy and ideas of younger and emerging political actors.
Dr. Ganduje’s role in this process should be viewed from the perspective of reconciliation, experience and unity, and not as an attempt to undermine the leadership of Your Excellency. You remain the Governor of Kano State and the leader of the APC in Kano State, while Dr. Ganduje, as a former Governor and former National Chairman of the APC, can provide experience, guidance and a bridge between different political tendencies. Such a combination can be beneficial to the party and to Kano State.
I respectfully appeal to all APC leaders, elders, supporters and stakeholders to demonstrate political maturity. We must learn to disagree without becoming enemies, compete without destroying relationships, and support our preferred candidates without insulting or demonising those who hold different opinions. Politics should be about service to the people and should not become a permanent source of division among brothers, friends and communities.
Your Excellency, the ultimate objective should not be for one political tendency to defeat another. If Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Senator Kabiru Gaya and other political leaders can contribute, in whatever capacity, to a new culture of dialogue and cooperation, the people of Kano will be the greatest beneficiaries. Our political differences should not prevent us from working together whenever the interest of Kano State requires cooperation.
The future of Kano is bigger than any individual, political party or personal ambition. I therefore respectfully appeal to Your Excellency to consider the establishment of a Committee of APC Elders and Stakeholders in Kano State under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON. Let it become a platform for reconciliation and consultation, help resolve differences before they become crises, encourage political tolerance and mutual respect, and contribute to building a stronger and more united APC in Kano State ahead of 2027.
Your Excellency, history will not only remember political leaders for the positions they occupied, but also for the bridges they built, the divisions they healed and the unity they promoted. I sincerely believe that this is an opportunity to build such bridges and strengthen the APC for the benefit of Kano State and its people.
May Allah SWT guide Your Excellency and all our political leaders, grant Kano State peace and stability, and guide us towards decisions that will benefit present and future generations.
May Almighty Allah bless Kano State and its people.
Ameen Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
Dr. Sagir S. Buhari, FCIA
Former Director General, Research and Documentation Directorate, Government House, Kano State
Member, Governing Council, Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, Kano State.
buharisageer@gmail.com
4th October, 2026
