Shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan left Kano State after a party rally, the governor of the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso led his state officials to sweep the ground the president stepped on during his stay.
The governor posted the picture on his Facebook wall.
Mr. Kwankwaso and his team jeered at the president as they swept the grounds with brooms. Broom is the main symbol of Nigeria’s largest opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. Mr. Kwakwanso is a member of the APC.
The governor’s actions on Tuesday are seen as a cultural hyperbole meant to emphasise his disdain for the president.
In the Hausa culture, when a broom is used to sweep off the departure of a guest, it is the highest expression of disdain for the visitor, Kabiru Mohammed, a Hausa linguist, said.
Political analysts say the governor’s broom-sweep-off connotes the rivalry between Nigeria’s ruling People’s Democratic Party and the APC. It is also seen as a comical reaction to the president’s scathing remarks on Mr. Kwankwaso during the visit where he accused the governor of maladministration.
Mr. Jonathan, at the Tuesday rally, said the Kano government under Mr. Kwankwaso has received over N255 billion as local government funds since 2011. He asked the 44 council chairmen in Kano to challenge the governor on what he has done with the funds.
Both Messrs Jonathan and Kwankwaso were political allies until late last year when the Kano governor joined the opposition. Mr. Kwankwaso recently voiced his regrets for supporting the president in 2011.
While Mr. Jonathan was still in Kano for the visit, Mr. Kwankwaso tweeted that President could as well use his visit to explain the missing $20 billion leaked by the now suspended Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi.
The president’s office is expected to react to the broom mockery.