THE Governor of Kano state Abdullahi Ganduje has reminded the governor-elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, that he is still in charge.
This is coming as the governor-elect issued two public warnings within a week.
On Thursday, March 30, Yusuf issued an advisory asking people to stay off public buildings, and to avoid constructing anything on government lands, schools and other public places.
On Saturday, April 1, he also issued another warning titled, ‘Public Debt Suspension Advisory.’
In the new advisory directed at all subsisting and prospective lenders to the Kano State government, the governor-elect stated that from March 18 to May 29, no lender (domestic or international) shall approve and issue any loan facility to the Kano State government without the express consent of the incoming administration.
“Any such loan facility approved and issued to the Kano State Government between the date of election and the date of swearing-in without explicit knowledge and consent of the incoming administration will not be honoured by the new administration.
“All subsisting lenders to the Kano State Government shall take notice that all terms and conditions for all existing loan facilities shall be renegotiated by the new administration guided by the utilization audit/review of each loan facility,” the directive stated.
The two advisories were signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor-elect, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
But in his reaction to the earlier warning on land and public buildings issued by Yusuf, the incumbent governor, Ganduje, asked Yusuf to desist from making official pronouncements in order to avoid confusion.
In a statement by the commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, on behalf of Ganduje, the governor accused the governor-elect of jumping the gun.
“The action of the governor-elect amounts to jumping the gun by issuing a directive on a matter affecting government laid-down policy while the incumbent is yet to run his full term.
“Until he subscribes to the oath of office as governor on May 29, he remains what he is – a governor-elect – and does not have the powers of the governor.
“All he can do is to reverse some of the actions taken by his predecessor when he assumes office, if there is a valid reason to do so. No governor-elect has the constitutional or legal powers to determine the direction of a state until he is sworn in,” Ganduje said.
He pointed out that every government had done this, including the one the governor-elect worked under, and that the governor had immense power to distribute land parcels.
Additionally, he claimed that according to currently available records, the previous administration had allotted land in some of the public areas that the governor-elect named.
Ganduje said he still has the executive authority as governor until May 29 and reserves the right to do his duties in the public interest, even in the days leading up to his exit.
Meanwhile, some Twitter users have also reacted to the advisory issued by the governor-elect.
“This is very unfortunate, to say the least, you made the first announcement in the capacity of a governor-elect, not sworn in yet, and now you are making another declaration in the same capacity; I honestly hope Kano didn’t have another Obi in the making. I continue to wish you well.”
Another user @Aconbi also tweeted.
“You’re doing too much. Wait till they swear you in.”
In his reaction, a Twitter user @WOyetunde, replying to Yusuf’s tweet on the advisory, stated.
“This should be the law going forward. I also believe that if Corporate Governance was strong in Nigeria, no lending institution will lend any outgoing administration money during this handover phase in Nigeria.”
But responding to a question on the governor-elect’s power to issue an advisory, a lawyer, Abiola Kolawole, said he was not sure the advisory has any force of law.
“I have never heard such happen before, but at the same time I don’t think the issuance of advisory has any force of law,” he said.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance