Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has vehemently dismissed the Kano State Government’s demand for his immediate arrest, labeling it “unfounded, irresponsible, and a sign of incompetence.”
In a strongly worded statement released today, Ganduje accused Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration of using the allegations as a smokescreen to divert attention from the state’s escalating security challenges.
The controversy erupted following Ganduje’s recent public remarks about establishing a voluntary security outfit in Kano, modeled after the state’s Hisbah Commission, to address banditry and other threats. The Kano government, led by Governor Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), interpreted these statements as inciting and potentially linked to the formation of an illegal militia group. On Friday, after a State Executive Council meeting, Information Commissioner Ibrahim Waiya announced the call for Ganduje’s arrest, citing a suspicious timeline: suspected bandits infiltrated border communities like Bagwai, Shanono, and Tsanyawa less than 48 hours after Ganduje’s comments, resulting in abductions and attacks.
“His utterances were inciting and reckless,” Waiya told journalists, emphasizing that the government had established a link between Ganduje’s statements and the subsequent violence. The administration urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute Ganduje for allegedly threatening public peace.
In response, Ganduje, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary Edwin Olofu, decried the move as a “desperate” tactic to scapegoat him for the government’s failures. “It is deeply unfortunate that rather than addressing the escalating insecurity ravaging the state, Governor Yusuf has chosen to chase shadows while searching for scapegoats to conceal his glaring failures,” Ganduje stated. He highlighted the governor’s absence from affected communities, noting that Yusuf has neither visited victims nor demonstrated empathy during repeated attacks in areas like Bagwai, Shanono, and Tsanyawa.
Ganduje further insisted on his clean record, declaring, “I have never been associated with violence nor linked to any act that undermines the peace and stability of Kano State.” He described the allegations as politically motivated distractions and called on Yusuf to prioritize his constitutional responsibilities, including protecting residents from banditry, instead of “political theatrics.”
Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin, an APC stalwart from Kano, echoed Ganduje’s sentiments, accusing the state government of politicizing insecurity to cover up its shortcomings. “The focus should be on collaborative efforts to secure our people, not finger-pointing,” Barau said.
This feud adds to the ongoing political rivalry between Ganduje, a key APC figure, and Governor Yusuf, who defeated Ganduje’s preferred candidate in the 2023 elections amid allegations of electoral irregularities. The tension has simmered since Yusuf’s inauguration, with previous disputes over issues like the reinstatement of the Kano Emirate and corruption probes against Ganduje.
