Ex-minister Gwarzo protest dismissal from Tinubu’s cabinet

Former Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with his removal from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet following a reshuffle on October 23, 2024, which saw the dismissal of five ministers.

Alongside Gwarzo, the Women’s Affairs, Tourism, Education, and Youth Development ministers were also dismissed.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Gwarzo questioned the grounds for his removal, asserting, “I was surprised because I wasn’t found guilty of any wrongdoing or poor performance.”

He further explained that the senior minister, as minister of state, handled the larger share of the ministry’s operations.

According to Gwarzo, President Tinubu personally informed him of the decision, citing an alleged imbalance of political appointments in Kano North as the rationale.

“The President said Kano North was overloaded with political officers, hence the need to strike a balance. We gave our advice, but it was ignored,” Gwarzo revealed.

The former minister suggested political influence as the underlying factor in his dismissal, expressing doubts over the President’s reasoning.

“I began to suspect that certain individuals were behind this because, to me, that wasn’t a valid reason,” he stated.

Gwarzo argued that if the intent was to prioritise Kano Central, then Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, Kano’s 2023 governorship candidate and prominent political figure, should have been the first choice.

“Gawuna should be offered the role first unless he declines,” Gwarzo emphasised, pointing out that similar considerations were made for candidates from Plateau and Zamfara who had previously contested in governorship elections.