Former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has explained why he rode in Governor Abdullahi Umar Gnaduje’s car after attending the funeral prayer for an influential contractor, Alhaji Sani Dahiru Yakasai (SDY), at the emir’s palace.
While some analysts described the incident as political, others said Shekarau might direct his followers to vote for the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Nasir Gawuna, in the coming Saturday’s poll.
However, in an interview with Radio France International (rfi), Shekarau who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one of the directors of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council in the just concluded election, said the meeting was apolitical.
Shekarau said there is cordial relationship between himself and other leaders of the state, adding that he often meets with many leaders, including Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP).
“Honestly, we met because of the death of our common friend, Alhaji Sani Dahiru Yakasai. We met at the funeral prayer which held at the Emir’s palace. Immediately after the prayers, we moved to the graveyard together in his own car. After burying the corpse, the governor held my hand and said he must finish what he has started, that is to take me back to my house.
“So I thanked him and we moved together to my house. There is nothing like politics here. It was just an accident. We don’t have any serious grudges, we respect each other. Just like Kwankwaso, we often meet at airports and we greet and laugh at each other,” he said.
On whether he met the governor behind closed doors, Shekarau said, “Oh do you want us to leave the door open while discussing? We didn’t discuss anything political. We were just discussing the death of this man and how our lives should be.”
He said his door was open for discussion with anybody that comes to him, adding that he would never close his door to any politician who comes around to discuss issues of the progress of the state.