Dare Babalola
Former Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has slammed Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration, accusing him of chasing shadows and searching for scapegoats instead of tackling the escalating insecurity ravaging Kano State, describing the move as a “glaring failure” on the part of the governor.
Ganduje, who was reacting to calls for his arrest by the Kano State Government over alleged comments linked to the establishment of a militia group, accused Governor Yusuf of desperation.
In a statement by Ganduje’s Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, the immediate-past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the demand for his arrest exposes what he described as Governor Yusuf’s “incompetence and inability to confront the real security challenges facing the state.”
He described the allegation as unfounded, saying it is the current administration’s attempt to divert attention from its failure to secure lives and property.
He said, “It is deeply unfortunate that rather than addressing the escalating insecurity ravaging Kano, Governor Yusuf has chosen to chase shadows and search for scapegoats to conceal his glaring failures.
“At a time when communities such as Bagwai, Shanono, Tsanyawa and other affected areas are living in fear, the governor has neither visited nor shown empathy. His absence in moments that demand leadership speaks volumes of his disconnect from the people he claims to serve.”
Ganduje stressed that he has never been associated with violence or linked to any act capable of undermining the peace and stability of Kano State.
He added that during his eight-year administration, the state enjoyed an enviable period of peace and security, earning national commendation.
He accused the Yusuf administration of resorting to “political theatrics, baseless allegations, and media drama” instead of providing real security solutions to the people.
Ganduje insisted that leadership should be demonstrated through “purposeful action, responsibility, and compassion,” not through “press conferences and frivolous statements aimed at diverting public attention from persistent failures.
The political turmoil erupts amid escalating insecurity in Kano’s northern border areas — Shanono, Tsanyawa, and Bagwai — where armed bandits have repeatedly struck. Villages have been raided, residents killed, families abducted, and livestock stolen, sparking panic and demands for immediate government action.
The Kano State House of Assembly recently passed resolutions urging stronger security deployments as the attacks intensified.
Ganduje sparked controversy by suggesting 12,000 youths be recruited into a faith-based security outfit, ‘Khairul Nas’. The government called this plan an illegal militia bid.
Officials claimed the remarks were “inciting, reckless, and capable of undermining ongoing security efforts,” noting that within 48 hours of the comment, suspected bandits launched another attack, a coincidence they described as “disturbing.”
In a formal directive issued after its November 28, 2025, Executive Council meeting, the Kano State Government has instructed security agencies to apprehend and probe Abdullahi Ganduje for allegedly conspiring to create an unlawful militia.
The former governor has firmly rejected the allegations, maintaining that the government is merely weaponizing insecurity to persecute political opponents.
