The spiritual leader of the Tijanniyah Sufi Order in Nigeria and former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, has endorsed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Sen. Uba Sani, ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election in the state.

One of the leaders of the Tijanniyah in Nigeria, Sheikh Tijani Inyass, disclosed this at the first annual general meeting of the Tijanniya Grassroots Mobilisation and Empowernment Initiative of Nigeria (TIGMIEN) over the weekend.

A statement issued on Monday by the Director, Strategic Communication of the APC Campaign Council, Ibraheem Musa, quoted Inyass as saying that Sanusi told them that he is not politically aligned to any party.

Musa said the former Emir of Kano asked the followers of Tijanniyah in Kaduna State to support Sani in the 2023 gubernatorial election, adding that Sanusi gave his reasons for giving the directive to Inyass.

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He stated that Sanusi and Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have been childhood friends and have been together “through thick and thin”.

“So, there is no way that Khalifa will not support the candidate of Governor El-Rufai’s party,” he quoted Inyass as saying.

Musa added that Sanusi did not tell the members of Tijanniyah sect to support any candidate in Kano State, quoting him as saying: “I will not disclose the name until I go to Kano.”

Speaking at the event, Sen. Sani thanked TIGMEIN for inviting him to its AGM, adding that he was humbled by Sanusi’s endorsement.

He, however, promised to set up a committee to come up with a robust intervention for orphans.

The APC gubernatorial candidate urged the electorate to scruitinise the record of service of each contestant before voting for him or her in the 2023 general election.

“Anyone who held a political appointment in the past and didn’t do anything for the people should be rejected at the polls.

“The electorate should not bank on the campaign promises of the people who held public offices but didn’t empower the people by bringing dividends of democracy to them,” Sani said.

The Star