By Abiola Olawale
The immediate past Governor of Kano state and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on Friday, expressed concerns that his predecessor, Governor Abba Yusuf is still playing destructive politics against him, months after assuming office.
This is as the former governor sounded a stern warning to Yusuf to concentrate on bringing good governance to his people instead of embarking on an attempt to drag his name in the mud.
The New Diplomat reports that the Kano government had slammed an eight-count criminal charge against Ganduje, alleging that the APC National Chairman collected a $400,000 kickback from a contractor. The government also accused Ganduje of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation, diversion of public funds, and bribery, to the tune of N1.3 billion.
The suit, dated April 3, and filed by the counsel to the state government, Muhuyi Magaji, said the offence contravened Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Commission Commission Law 2008.
Reacting, Ganduje via a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, on Friday, described the bribery allegation as an ‘unfortunate and sorry attempt’ to shift attention from the fact that there was nothing on the ground in the state that the governor can use to justify the huge allocations he has been receiving since the inception of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Ganduje said the move was the latest attempt by the state government to drag his name in the mud, adding that it also spoke volumes on the level of ‘crass ignorance and disregard for the rule of law’ by the governor.
The statement reads: “In their desperate attempt to malign me and my family, they either forgot or probably cannot conduct themselves by the dictates of the law. They failed to take judicial notice of the recent pronouncement of the Federal High Court in Kano, which ruled that the so-called offence I am being accused of is a federal offence that can only be prosecuted by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“Rather than join issues with my traducers in Kano over the trumped-up charges levelled against me, I would implore them to redirect their energies towards easing the plights of our people in Kano.
“They still have the opportunity to revert to my blueprint for the sustainable growth and development of Kano State. It is not yet late in the day for them to emulate my developmental strides. They can still salvage the situation as my tenure was devoid of any wrongdoing.
“As the saying goes, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. It shouldn’t be seen as targeted at my administration alone. It should not be seen to be borne out of malice, vindictiveness, and ill will. It should be for the public good and interest.
“We conducted the affairs of governance in the state openly and transparently during my tenure. We don’t need to be seeking direction from our masters to do what is proper.”
