Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has criticised the recent call by the Kano State Government for his arrest, describing it as reckless, baseless, and a sign of incompetence.
Ganduje stated this in a statement on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, in reaction to the state government’s allegation linking him to comments on the establishment of a militia group.
The immediate-past governor of Kano State described the call for his arrest as “a clear reflection of the Kano State Governor’s desperation and incompetence,” adding that the move amounted to an abdication of responsibility by an administration that had failed in its primary duty of securing lives and property.
“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 said.
He further accused the administration of neglecting communities affected by insecurity, naming Bagwai, Shanono and Tsanyawa as areas where residents are allegedly living in fear without adequate government attention.
“At a time when these communities and other affected areas are living in fear, the governor has neither visited nor shown empathy toward the victims. His continued absence in moments that require leadership speaks volumes of his disconnect from the people he claims to serve,” the statement read.
The former governor denied any association with violence or actions capable of undermining peace in Kano State, stressing that he had never been linked to any act of instability.
He further defended his tenure, noting that Kano State remained secure throughout his eight years in office, a period he said earned national commendation for maintaining peace and safeguarding lives and property.
The statement added that Ganduje’s record stood “in stark contrast to the current administration’s ineptitude and lack of direction.”
He also urged Governor Abba Yusuf to focus on his constitutional responsibility of protecting the people of Kano State rather than engaging in “political theatrics and peddling unfounded allegations.”
“Leadership is demonstrated through purposeful action, responsibility and compassion, not through press conferences and the issuing of frivolous statements aimed at diverting public attention from one’s failures,” he added.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Kano State Government had on Friday called for investigation and arrest of the former governor over what it described as “inciting and reckless” comments on the state’s security situation.
The alleged call followed allegations that his remarks, alongside those of Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, could undermine ongoing security efforts and accusations of a link to the recruitment of 12,000 persons into a proposed religious militia group.
Senator Barau had also cautioned Governor Yusuf against politicising insecurity, urging him to concentrate on solving the challenges facing the state.
Barau, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, dismissed the claim as “false, reckless and malicious,” insisting that he never made any statement capable of aggravating insecurity in Kano.
