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Kano supplementary polls: Gov-elect warns against use of public funds

KANO State Governor-elect Abba Kabir Yusuf has issued another advisory warning local government chairmen against using public funds to sponsor the upcoming supplementary elections in the state.

Yusuf issued the warning in a Public Advisory released late Thursday evening and signed by the Press Secretary to the Governor-elect Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.


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Dawakin Tofa said the Governor-elect and his team have credible information that Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has directed the release of funds to some local government councils for the conduct of supplementary elections taking place on Saturday, April 15.

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“We wish to issue another Public Advisory on the purported use of public funds to finance the supplementary elections on Saturday, 15th April, 2023.

“We are in possession of credible information that the Kano State Government, under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has directed the release of N61 million to Doguwa, over N60 million to Nasarawa, over N60 million to Wudil. Other local government councils are also listed to receive hundreds of millions of Naira to fund elections.

“The money was released solely for sponsoring political thugs to unleash violence on the innocent citizens and residents of Kano State during the supplementary elections.

“We wish to again caution all the local government chairmen and their management staff, including Directors of Personnel Management (DPMs), Treasurers, and other employees at the state and local government levels who may be directly or indirectly involved in this heinous act, to as a matter of responsibility, distance themselves and ensure that all public funds already released are not used for such purposes and returned to the appropriate coffers.,” Dawakin Tofa stated.

The Governor-elect praised the whistleblower who revealed the incumbent government’s plans to his team.

Yusuf also said his team is also aware of a plan by the Ganduje administration to bring in thugs into Kano to destabilise the peace in the state.

“It is very pertinent to bring to the attention of all employees in the state that anybody found wanting on this scandal will face the necessary action at the most appropriate time.

“It is, therefore, necessary to call on the security agencies to take swift action against the potential repeat of violent thuggery attacks on innocent citizens of Kano state,” the statement added.

The Chairman of the Kano State Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Bappa Muhammad, had earlier reacted to an advisory issued by the Kano Transition Committee (GTC) on April 6, 2023.

Bappa described allegations against the chairmen by the Governor-elect’s team as an everyday occurrence whenever there is a change in leadership.

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He said a similar allegation of using public funds being siphoned from the 44 LGAs to finance his presidential ambition was made against the former Governor of Kano State, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, in 2014.

Bappa advised the incoming administration to desist from unnecessarily heating the polity by making such unfounded allegations in the interest of peace and the security of the state.

Earlier in April, the incumbent governor, Ganduje, reminded the governor-elect, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, that he is still in charge after Yusuf 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’, warning all subsisting and prospective lenders to the Kano State government against giving any loan facility to the government without the express consent of the incoming administration.




     

     

    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.

    According to the Kano State Resident Electoral Officer (REC), Abdu Zango, some federal and state constituencies experienced issues that led to supplementary elections.

    Yusuf, of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won the Kano governorship election by defeating the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is the current deputy governor of the State, Nasir Gawuna, and 16 other contestants.

    According to the returning officer, Ahmad Dokko, Yusuf won the election with 1,019,602 votes, while Gawuna got 890,705 votes.

    Bankole Abe

    A reporter with the ICIR
    A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance

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