Tension in Kano as Ganduje set for arraignment on April 17

Palpable fear and uncertainty have enveloped Kano as the government of Abba Kabir Yusuf moves to arraign the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and a former Governor of the State, Dr Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, over allegations of financial misappropriation.

Some residents are reportedly planning to vacate their homes for fear of mayhem by political thugs in the state.

The ruling New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, and the state government filed charges against Ganduje, his wife and six others at the Kano State High Court last Tuesday.

The NNPP-led administration in the state had last week launched an assault on two major grounds, a commission of Inquiry to probe Ganduje’s eight years tenure and litigation over alleged abuse of office.

Support for or against the impending litigation in the volatile city had dominated political discussion on local radio stations, and social media amid caution and threat.

Many residents who spoke over the current development expressed apprehension that the war may snowball into a security breach against the backdrop of deep-seated animosity between the feuding parties.

Yakubu Isa, a resident of Hotoro said, “I think the timing, and every other time isn’t the best to instigate a political war against one another, after all, the religion is against probe.”

Tanimu Auwalu of Rijiyallemo on his part advised Abba Kabir Yusuf to draw a line, and face governance to justify his mandate.

Rijiyallemo explained that “the government should preoccupy itself with the execution of blueprints instead of the needless war on political opponents.”

Hajiya Ayi isa Dosa on her part appealed to the governor to resist all forms of distraction because time is not on his side.

She stressed that “voters will be swayed by the level of infrastructure on ground than what Ganduje has done wrong.”

On his part, Garba Kore, a stalwart of the APC, in a radio interview that is being serialized in Kano warned that the governor’s action is not in good faith.

Kore accused the governor of “fighting a proxy war against a respected former governor”, stressing that “in the interest of equity and fairness, let them extend the Dr. Ganduje probe to cover his tenure as Kwankwaso’s deputy.”

Similarly, another APC chieftain, Alhaji Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, warned: “Let it be known to Governor Yusuf, that who is living inside a glass house should not throw stones, because the stone may eventually hit him”.

The Kano chapter of the APC in its official reaction by the tough-talking Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, warned that “the party will continue to be law-abiding, it will not, however, condone witch-hunt, political victimisation, and persecution.”

Reacting to the exchange of fire by the feuding parties, the police in Kano said “The city is safe and will continue to make it safe for dwellers”.

Ussaini Gumel, the Commissioner of Police, in a telephone chat, explained that “police didn’t prepare charges against the former governor, in other words, we are out of it.

“The state government should speak on it, and I think the Attorney General is in a good stead to speak. But however, the city is safe for the citizens.”