Reports alleged that Doguwa attacked Garo at a high-level party meeting at the residence of the Deputy Governor of the state, Nasiru Gawuna on Monday.
The Majority Leader of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa has reacted to his clash with the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 elections in Kano State, Murtala Sule Garo.
Reports alleged that Doguwa attacked Garo at a high-level party meeting at the residence of the Deputy Governor of the state, Nasiru Gawuna on Monday.
It was also alleged that Doguwa threw a cup of tea at Garo, which injured the latter.
But, in a press conference at his residence on Tuesday, Doguwa called on Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to take charge and save the party from a crisis ahead of 2023.
Narrating what transpired between him and the former Commissioner for Local Government, Doguwa admitted there was a clash but said he did not attack him.
According to Doguwa, what transpired between him and Garo was that he called the APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas and asked him (Doguwa) to meet him at the Gawuna's residence.
When he arrived at the deputy governor's residence, he found that there was an APC stakeholders' meeting going on, to which he jokingly complained that there should be a National Assembly representation at a meeting of that nature.
"When I went to the meeting, I was not there to attend the meeting, just to see the party chairman, Abdullahi Abbas and leave. When I entered the meeting room, I cracked this joke at the deputy governor, saying that the National Assembly caucus should have had representation in this meeting, but Murtala just erupted, saying must I be invited? Must National Assembly caucus be invited? He started abusing me and raining insults on me.
"I did not retaliate because I know, I have a good upbringing and if I did not retaliate, it would be tantamount to him abusing himself. He continued to insult me and even attempted to grab my attire, that is the point I lost control and started to retaliate.
"He even attempted to grab my collar. In the course of moving towards me to fight me, there was a cup of tea on the table, so Garo hit the cup, which fell down and got broken. When he swiftly moved towards me, he slipped on the floor and fell on the broken cup and got injured.
"I did not injure Murtala. The news gave the impression that I injured Murtala, but I did not injure him. I did not use any material to injure," Doguwa narrated.
The House Leader also said that he is being subjected to insult and abuse as a member of the APC caucus in Kano.
He narrated that he made ten billboards ahead of the visit of the party's presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to welcome him to Kano, adding that on the eve of the visit, some "hooligans" tore his picture on all the billboards.
"I asked the guy who produced the billboards to make new ones quickly before the arrival of the Tinubu. But, when my boys were fixing the billboards, some group of young men warned them that even if they paste the banner, they would also tear it up.
"I am being subjected to insult and ridicule in Kano APC and I cannot condone it. By virtue of my position at the National Assembly, I cannot allow myself to be treated badly in the party I laboured for," he said.
Mr Doguwa also restated his unflinching support for the candidature of Mr Gawuna and the success of APC.
"I respect Ganduje, my father and political mentor. I also respect and support Gawuna. It reneges on my resolve to help the party succeed in 2023," he assured.
This fresh crisis comes some months after a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau and some other lawmakers angrily left the party.
Shekarau said he left the party l because of the "marginalisation of all major critical stakeholders, and lack of internal democracy, in the Kano State chapter of the APC, plus the total absence of the principle of inclusiveness in the affairs of the party and its government at all levels in the state".