“It wasn’t because of poor performance, why did you sack me?” – Ex-minister to Tinubu
Story by Victor Itodo ABUH
Abdullahi Gwarzo, the recently dismissed Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, has voiced strong discontent with his removal from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, asserting that he was not guilty of poor performance or any misconduct.
In a sharp reaction to his dismissal during the cabinet reshuffle on 23 October 2024, Gwarzo rejected the explanation provided by the presidency, which cited an overrepresentation of political officers from Kano North as the primary justification for the changes.
The reshuffle led to the removal of five ministers, including Gwarzo, along with Uju-Ken Ohanenye, Minister of Women’s Affairs; Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism; Professor Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education; and Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth Development.
In an exclusive interview, Gwarzo disclosed that President Tinubu personally informed him of the decision before the public announcement.
However, Gwarzo expressed confusion over the reasoning behind his dismissal, stating, “I was surprised because I wasn’t found guilty of any wrongdoing or poor performance.”
Gwarzo also clarified that he served as the junior minister within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, with the senior minister overseeing much of the ministry’s operations. He stressed that his removal followed the president’s claim that Kano North had too many political appointees, a reason he described as inadequate.
“The president said Kano North was overloaded with political officers, hence the need to strike a balance,” Gwarzo explained.
“We gave our advice, but it was ignored. From there, I began to suspect that certain individuals were behind this because, to me, that wasn’t a valid reason.”
The former minister further questioned the fairness of the cabinet reshuffle, suggesting that if the ministerial slot was indeed intended for Kano Central, it could have been offered to a prominent local leader.
Read also:Cabinet Reshuffle: Okupe commends Tinubu for scrapping ‘superfluous ministries’
“If the ministerial slot is indeed meant for Kano Central, we have our 2023 governorship candidate, who is also our leader in Kano Central. Why not consider giving him the position?”
Gwarzo’s remarks also touched upon the political landscape in Kano State, indicating that the governorship candidate, Dr Nasir Gawuna, should have been given priority for the role.
He remarked, “Gawuna should be offered the role first, unless he declines, in which case it could be given to someone else.”
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