In the audio, Mr Ganduje complained of being sidelined by Mr Tínubu.
The Kano State Government on Sunday described as mischievous the publication of a phone conversation between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and a senior member of the ruling party in the state, Ibrahim Masari.
In the leaked audio, Messrs Ganduje and Masari were speaking about a recent meeting between the president-elect, Bola Tinubu and the former presidential candidate of the opposition New Nigerian Peoples Party, (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Paris, France.
The meeting came barely days before the inauguration of Mr Tinubu as president.
Mr Kwankwaso and Mr Ganduje were allies but have been political foes for over five years. While Mr Ganduje actively supported Mr Tinubu’s election, Mr Kwankwaso, also a former Kano governor, contested against Mr Tinubu.
In the leaked telephone conversation, Mr Ganduje, expressed dissatisfaction about the meeting and complained about being sidelined by Mr Tínubu.
Reacting to the leaked audio, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Muhammad Garba, said the ‘exaggerated’ publicity given to audio was the handiwork of paid agents, who he claimed are trying to use it to disaffection between Messrs Ganduje, Masari, and Tinubu.
“From all indications some people who are not comfortable with the existing long cordiality between Tinubu, Ganduje and Masari are bent on exploiting the situation to their advantage.
“The governor and the president-elect have since realised this mischievous attempt to cause disaffection between them.”
The Kano spokesperson said Messrs Tinubu and Ganduje “would not allow the sound working relationship, which has been waxing stronger, particularly at this critical time, to be destroyed by some self-centred individuals.”
Mr Garba called on members of the APC and the general public to disregard such attempt, and remain calm and loyal to the party to ensure the successful inauguration of the president-elect.
Transcript of the Leaked Audio.
Below is the complete transcript of the conversation sourced and transcribed by Daily Trust newspaper.
Ganduje: Hello
Ibrahim Masari: Your Excellency
Ganduje: How is work and everything? How is Abuja
Masari: Glory be to God, I just came into Abuja
Ganduje: Kano is all over with noise.
Masari: Your Excellency, I told you what is going on, but you denied it. What should I say? I told you what’s happening, but you denied it and expressed surprise over it. How would this be happening, and so on?
Ganduje: Even if I heard it, there is nothing I can do about it. Isn’t it?
Masari: But you can speak to him at that time, you can call him and talk to him.
Ganduje: To tell him what? I can’t do anything since Kwankwaso has become an alternative to us. There is no problem.
Masari: It hasn’t reached that stage. That’s impossible
Ganduje: Because we don’t have government?
Masari: Are you coming on Thursday?
Ganduje: It’s because of him that we lose reelection.
Masari: You should be patient. Even your enemies know that he wasn’t fair to you.
Ganduje: The right thing is that even if he will grant Kwankwaso audience, it should be in our presence. We should be invited. Did you understand? Even if it is symbolically.
Masari: Your Excellency, you should be patient. I wish you safe journey
Ganduje: Everything is in the hands of God
Masari: You’re right
Ganduje: All these calculations
Masari: They are very wrong. Everybody will be scared to work with him
Ganduje: This man did not end well with Jonathan. He gave him work but ended up painting the government as corrupt.
Masari: Yes, you’re right
Ganduje: Because he wasn’t allowed to partake in corruption, it’s not a matter that he was clean.
Masari: What brought the issue of he is clean? The truth of the matter is that they weren’t fair to you. You should just be patient but leave it until you arrive.
We’ve started the discussion, he called me and I told him that Mr. President, you’re wrong. He said, “What have I done again?” He started explaining it to me that it was SLS and Chagaury that led them and so on.. I asked him whether he had spoken to you, and he said no. Is he seeing these things. Leave it until you come, you know this conversation on the phone is unsafe.
I wish you a safe journey. You should just keep mute as you did, maintain your maturity by not speaking on the matter
Ganduje: What intelligence told me is that they want his intervention to scuttle the case at the tribunal
Masari: There is that game plan. It’s not his right. You have that right, Excellency.
Ganduje: He’s not showing interest over the matter.
Masari: Excellency, you should let this matter go, I don’t like these conversations on the phone. Allow it when you come tomorrow or next tomorrow, then we sit down and discuss. If the need arise,s we can call him.
Ganduje: When is he coming back?
Masari: Wallahi, I don’t know, we have spoken, not that good, and I even showed him my anger.
Source: