Dr.
Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC),
addressed the controversy surrounding former ministerial nominee Maryam
Shetty and clarified the situation. President Bola Tinubu had replaced Shetty
with Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, who had served as a commissioner during Ganduje’s
tenure as governor.
In
an interview with select radio stations in Kano on Saturday, Ganduje
acknowledged that the social media outrage over Shetty’s appointment played a
significant role in her removal, highlighting the power of social media in
shaping public opinion.
Ganduje
explained that the president has advisors for selecting ministerial nominees at
both the national and state levels. The president has the prerogative to
nominate anyone he deems suitable and may consult individuals from the states
to identify capable candidates for the role. Shetty’s name had emerged from the
top, and although Ganduje and his followers did not object to it, they were not
familiar with her and couldn’t appraise her suitability.
However,
the situation changed when Maryam Shetty faced widespread criticism on social
media. Her integrity, experience, and credentials to represent Kano at the
national level were questioned, leading to growing disaffection among the
people of Kano. President Bola Tinubu was made aware of the criticisms and
inquired whether Ganduje had nominated Shetty. Ganduje denied any knowledge of
her nomination.
Given
the importance of having an individual with integrity, knowledge, experience,
and commitment to the party in the ministerial slot, Ganduje and his team
believed that it was best to replace Shetty. They felt that someone from Kano
would be more appropriate, especially since the slot was intended for a female
nominee. After wide consultations, they nominated Dr. Mariya Bunkure, Ganduje’s
former commissioner for higher education, who is a certified medical doctor.
This decision was also influenced by the desire to address complaints of
marginalization from Kano South.
Ganduje
emphasized that the clarification was not meant to insult anyone but to reveal
the truth about what happened. Shetty was dropped because of concerns over her
suitability for the position, but it doesn’t imply that she won’t be considered
for other appointments in the future. Overall, Ganduje expressed contentment
that the people of Kano are satisfied with the current development.
