By Obinna Uballa
The Kwankwasiyya political movement in Kano State has pushed back against allegations of financial misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, presenting documents it says show that the controversial N1.1 billion expenditure was approved by Governor Abba Yusuf.
The development comes after the Kano State House of Assembly on Thursday served an impeachment notice on the deputy governor over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office and breach of public trust.
In the notice, endorsed by 38 of the 40 lawmakers in the assembly, Gwarzo was accused of financial impropriety allegedly committed during his tenure as Commissioner for Local Government and in his current capacity as deputy governor.
However, documents dated between April and June 2024 released by the Kwankwasiyya movement appear to present a different account of the transaction.
The documents, sighted by Daily Trust Newspaper, reportedly indicate that the N1.1 billion allocation was meant to address water shortages and support drug supplies across the 44 local government areas of the state, and that the release of the funds followed an official approval process.
According to the records, the process began on April 15, 2024, when the Kano State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) wrote to the Ministry for Local Government requesting funds to tackle acute water shortages and procure drugs for residents across the state.
The request was first endorsed by the deputy governor before it was forwarded to the governor for consideration.
In one of the memos addressed to the governor, the request explained that the 44 Local Government Interim Management Committee chairmen, acting under the leadership of ALGON, proposed an allocation of N25 million for each local government area from the State–Local Government Joint Account, bringing the total to N1.1 billion.
Subsequently, on May 20, 2024, the deputy governor formally sought the governor’s approval for the release of the funds through a memo referenced MLG/INS/MEE/1-2.
The memo stated that the intervention would help address “acute shortage of portable water across the 44 local governments” and assist vulnerable residents in accessing essential drugs and medical supplies.
Approval for the request was eventually conveyed on June 10, 2024, in a letter signed by Abubakar S. Dabo, Director of Local Government Inspection, on behalf of the Commissioner.
The documents further showed that the funds were structured to provide N10 million to each local government for the maintenance and repair of boreholes and open wells, while N15 million was allocated for the purchase of drugs and medical equipment.
Kwankwasiyya leaders argue that the documents clearly demonstrate that the deputy governor acted within the scope of his official duties and with the full approval of the governor.
They therefore dismissed the impeachment allegations as politically motivated.
The political tension surrounding the issue comes amid recent developments in Kano politics following Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the APC.
Observers say the move against the deputy governor may also be linked to his reported decision to remain within the NNPP and the Kwankwasiyya movement rather than defect alongside the governor.
Under the impeachment process, the deputy governor has been given two weeks to respond to the allegations.
If the assembly finds his response unsatisfactory, it is expected to constitute an investigative panel in accordance with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the state government were unsuccessful. The Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, said he would respond later but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
