KANO, Nigeria — In a fierce rebuttal, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has addressed claims made by his predecessor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, regarding alleged governance failures.
The current governor, through a statement from his spokesperson on Sunday, April 7, 2024, Sanusi Tofa, has labelled Ganduje’s tenure as filled with “failure and maladministration,” marked by widespread corruption, misuse of public funds, and the sale of state assets.
The exchange highlights a deep political rift within the state, with Governor Yusuf critiquing Ganduje’s eight-year leadership as detrimental to the welfare of Kano’s populace.
“Our eight months in office has remarkably outweighed Ganduje’s eight wasted years of political caricature and maladministration by all standards,” the statement asserted, challenging Ganduje’s narrative of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) government’s alleged shortcomings.
The statement further criticised Ganduje for what it described as a boldness to critique the current administration despite facing numerous allegations of corruption himself.
This includes a notorious incident captured on video, which appeared to show Ganduje accepting bribes.
According to Yusuf’s spokesperson, such acts brought “shame and disgrace” to Kano, vowing that no media campaign could obstruct the judicial pursuit of Ganduje on these matters.
Governor Yusuf also took aim at the integrity of Ganduje’s governance, recounting inherited financial woes, including significant debt and the controversial sale of public properties to associates of the former governor.
Yusuf’s administration has committed to addressing these challenges while emphasizing its achievements in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and social welfare despite the alleged financial and ethical lapses of the prior administration.
Moreover, the statement announced the formation of two Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement during Ganduje’s tenure, as well as issues of political violence and missing persons in the state.
It highlighted the administration’s efforts to rehabilitate Kano’s socio-economic landscape, from paying pension backlogs denied by the previous government to distributing palliatives to mitigate the impact of subsidy removal and rising food prices.
Governor Yusuf’s stern response underscores a commitment to transparency and accountability, contrasting sharply with the accusations levied by Ganduje.
The administration’s proactive measures, including a call for the release of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission’s (EFCC) forensic investigation into the “Gandollar saga,” reflect an intent to cleanse Kano’s political and administrative systems of past corruption.
