The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) and leader of the Northern Regional Caucus in the lower chamber, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) has declared that his continuous victory at the polls was without the support of the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso
He also dared his colleague, Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa (NNPP, Kano) to drop a bombshell against him if he had any.
Abdulmumini, a former Chairman of Appropriation and Finance Committee in the House and a political protégé of Kwankwaso had, in response to Doguwa’s statement, cautioning Kwankwaso against blackmailing leaders of the APC, especially President Bola Tinubu and National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje threatened to drop a bombshell that will lead to Doguwa’s expulsion from the APC.
But responding in a statement released on Tuesday, the former leader of the House said, “I won all the elections in my federal constituency, including the presidential election, where President Bola Tinubu defeated Kwankwaso in my home LGA (Doguwa), and I won my election for the 7th time.
“I also delivered my two state assembly members to the APC, a rare performance in the last election in Kano state. My federal constituency remains unarguably APC controlled despite the so-called “political tsunami” during the 2023 general elections,” he said.
Doguwa said he has, by God’s grace, won election four times without Kwankwaso, the latest being the 2023 general elections.
“I have, by the grace of Allah, won my elections to the House of Representatives four consecutive times without Kwankwaso. And with Allah SWT, I don’t need him to win my future elections.
“I am not a dependent or a political parasite like Abdulmumini, who cannot win an election without someone around him. He had always relied on the political structure of others to win elections.
“That was why in 2019 when the courts ordered a rerun election in his (Abdulmumini) constituency like mine, he could not return to the House of Representatives because he had nobody around him. He stood solo and lost out while I won my rerun election by Allah’s grace,” Doguwa, the House of Representatives leader in the 9th Assembly, said.
On the threat of being exposed, Doguwa said “I challenge Abdulmumini Jibrin to drop any bombshell he has against me. I dare him not to spare or keep secret whatever he knows about my political conviction and or commitment to my party, the APC. I remain a loyal and sincere member of the ruling APC.
“I also believe and have faithful confidence in the leadership of our party. I admire and believe in the governmental policies and programs of our party. I am not a cowardly politician and cannot be intimidated or blackmailed by sweeping accusations or phantom threats,” he said.
Thanking God for his outstanding performance in the House over the years, Doguwa said he had occupied various positions, including serving as the Chief Whip in the 8th Assembly, the majority leader in the 9th Assembly, chairman of the House Committee on MDGs and the House Special Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill, which was instrumental to the bill’s final passage in the 9th Assembly.
“Today, I served in a parliamentary position as the Chairman of the Northern regional caucus of the 10th House under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. All these positions I held in the parliament were without any animosity.
“I was never removed from these offices. No matter what anyone may say about a person, no one can change the rocket. History: I was Kwankwaso’s colleague in 1992 during the 3rd Republic when Abdulmumini was in school.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I want to put it on the record that I remain Sardaunan Rano in the face of the law, and as a national leader, I also have the honour to be turbaned as Dallatun Kangiwa in Kebbi state, Danburam of Bukuyyum in Zamfara State, Barden Saminaka in Kaduna State and Nasarawa State, North Central geopolitical zone, I hold the respected title of the Gado Da Masu of Ukke,”he said.
