Kano Politics

By Hadiza Abdulkadir

The Kano State Government has imposed an immediate ban on all live political programmes aired by media organisations in the state.

As Kano Times online news media reported, the decision was announced during a quarterly stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs. The meeting, chaired by the Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, brought together government officials and media executives.

In a statement signed by Sani Abba Yola, Director of Special Duties at the ministry, the ban aims to prevent the spread of inflammatory content that could jeopardise the state’s cultural and religious harmony.

“We are not trying to stifle political dissent,” Comrade Waiya told the gathering. “Our objective is to protect the sanctity of our cultural and religious values.”

Further measures were introduced during the meeting. All individuals invited for interviews on media platforms must now sign an undertaking committing to avoid abusive, defamatory, or culturally insensitive remarks.

Presenters have also been directed to avoid provocative questions or gestures that might provoke defamatory or damaging statements against individuals or the state.

Waiya acknowledged a recent decline in the use of inflammatory language on air, crediting the ongoing collaboration between the ministry and media houses for the improvement.

He also disclosed that the government has rolled out sensitisation campaigns targeting political presenters, media commentators, and members of the Council of Friday Imams to promote responsible public discourse.

“We want to ensure that all public communication is done with integrity—free of defamation and in a way that protects the reputation of Kano State,” Waiya said.

By Samira Usman Adam

Politics is a game of interests, influence, and sometimes, survival. But above all, it is about leadership and leading people with wisdom, fairness, and strategic foresight. At this critical point in Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s political career, one thing is clear: his ability to build more friends than enemies will define his legacy far beyond his tenure in office.

Just recently, Ganduje received a vote of confidence from the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership, a significant gesture considering the turbulence surrounding his political journey. 

This is not just a lifeline; it is an opportunity he must seize to prove himself as more than just a money monger, as critics often describe him. If I were in his shoes, my approach would be simple: mend fences, consolidate power through unity, and rewrite my political narrative.

Power is Fleeting, but Influence Lasts

One of politicians’ biggest mistakes is believing that power alone is enough to sustain relevance. The reality, however, is that power is temporary, but influence, built through meaningful relationships, lasts far longer. 

Ganduje must realise that his current standing within the APC is not just about political loyalty but also about how he navigates relationships, particularly in Kano and at the national level.

If I were him, I would prioritise reconciling with those I have wronged, whether within the party, in Kano politics, or even in the opposition. Political grudges only create unnecessary enemies, and in a democracy, today’s enemy might be tomorrow’s ally. The greatest leaders recognise this and act accordingly.

Rewriting the Narrative: Beyond Money Politics

Ganduje’s name has been tarnished by allegations of corruption, with many reducing his political identity to financial controversies. Whether true or not, perception is powerful in politics. Now, with a renewed opportunity, he must take intentional steps to reshape how people perceive him.

If I were Ganduje, I would focus on key strategies:

 1. Promote issue-based politics: Shift away from financial influence and instead foster discussions on governance, policy, and party unity.

 2. Public Engagement and Transparency: Tackle concerns regarding governance and finances directly. The more open and accountable a leader seems, the more trust they can restore.

 3. Legacy Projects: Even beyond active governance, supporting meaningful initiatives in education, infrastructure, and youth empowerment can reshape how history remembers him.

Building Bridges for Political Survival

At this stage, every political move must be calculated with the future in mind. As a former governor, Ganduje still retains considerable influence in Kano politics, but influence without consolidation amounts to little. If I were in his position, I would engage in high-level bridge-building, both within the APC and beyond.

 • Reunite Factions Within APC Kano: The state remains politically divided, and without unity, APC’s strength in Kano could diminish.

 • Engage with Political Opponents: There is nothing undignified about reconciling with former rivals. In fact, it exemplifies true leadership.

 • Strengthen National Alliances: The political landscape is unpredictable, and having allies beyond Kano is crucial for long-term relevance.

Final Thoughts

The vote of confidence that Ganduje received is not merely a validation; it is an invitation to prove himself, to lead differently, and to transition from being perceived as a controversial figure to a respected statesman. 

If I were him, I would spend the next phase of my career doing exactly that: making more friends than enemies, consolidating my influence, and ensuring that my name, when written in history, is associated with strategy, leadership, and reconciliation rather than controversy.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Will he take it?

Samira Usman Adam wrote via sammyranoh@gmail.com.

By Anwar Usman

The nationwide protest organized by Nigerians purposely to highlight the sufferings and hard times that Nigerians are going through was later turned into thuggery, which resulted in vandalizing government properties and stealing people’s belongings.

Everyone who attends the gathering knows precisely what happened and who is responsible for the vandalization during the peaceful protest. It’s unfortunate that some people who didn’t even partake in the protest but only witnessed some part of the event on social media concluded that the protesters were the ones responsible for the vandalization of government properties and went ahead to fault this same youth who is agitating for good governance and food security.

I joined the peaceful demonstration as a citizen to exercise my democratic and civic rights. The demonstration began peacefully, with youth raising placards containing various inscriptions telling the government what was necessary. I also witnessed many instances where the same youth advocated for a peaceful demonstration by warning those trying to cause havoc or unnecessary problems.

It was not until after the address by the governor of Kano state that some angry youth were said to have joined the demonstration and vandalized the NCC office that’s yet to be commissioned. How is it possible for people who want the government to listen to their yearnings and aspirations to end up in this barbaric act? 

A lot of misinformation on social media claimed that this youth initially organized the demonstration to loot. But this opinion is strictly for those who think citizens should not tell the government the difficulties they’re going through through protest. These people are very well aware of the situation in the north and Nigeria.

In reality, these thugs were hired to disrupt the demonstration process. Is there any place that one can find rocks of the same size on a state road? How do the rocks get there? How could there be a political gathering while the protest is ongoing? This tells you that these uneducated thugs were hired to fault and disrupt the demonstration process due to some political reasons I wouldn’t like to mention here.

Look, this demonstration tells you how angry and hungry people are, especially the youth around 20-25 years of age. Although this is a planned demonstration, a time is coming when no one can stop these youth from expressing their anger. Youths were coming out in thousands to express their concern about what has been happening for a year now.

If you think the protest is the main cause of what happened, does that mean people should not participate? Everyone knows the danger of following the Kaduna-Abuja road due to kidnapping and banditry, but does that stop people from following the road? Don’t they want their lives? What about the people of Katsina who are now friends of bandit? 

The vandalization shouldn’t be the yardstick for generalizing these youth who are out to secure their future. If the protest is a means to express dissatisfaction over the government’s inability to meet certain demands, then people must partake,even if that can change their lives. 

Even in the US, the mother of democracy, during the protests, people carried out such acts (not stealing). Assume I’m lying, but fact-check what I said.

The question left unanswered is, where do you think Nigerian youth can find hope, and through what process? This is a democratic era. People must exercise their democratic rights before their leaders can listen to them.

Imagine a country where the president is publicizing that he has no CABAL or a SPONSOR! That is to say, the moment he assumed office, Nigerians were sold to him by the delegates of his political party, and no one could influence his decisions, positively or negatively.

I sympathize with the victims who lost their properties and some lives in the process of the protest, but this shouldn’t be the end. You must lose something to get something, and hopefully, the end of the struggle will yield a positive result.

It’s a time for Nigerian youth to abstain from drugs and vandalism. Do not let anyone use you to cause havoc and dump you in a dustbin. Think for yourselves, attend school, and build your future because success is yours.

The people behind this thuggery sent their children abroad, schooling in the world’s first-class universities, whereas the sons of the common person are dealing with drugs, joblessness, and uncertainties of life.

The government should use what happened in Kano as a case study. It’s always said that “a hungry man is an angry man.” The government should try to listen to Nigerians’ yearnings and provide immediate solutions to their sufferings. If not, no one can dare stop these youth the next time they’ll be on the street in the name of protest.

God bless Nigeria. May Nigerian succeed, amin.

Anwar Usman Hassan wrote from Kano via usmananwarhassan@gmail.com.

By Salihi Adamu Takai

Contemporary political singers are known for the satirical content of most of their songs. Political songs are very descriptive of invective barbs, innuendos, and allusions. They are primarily meant to satirise opponents. Rarara’s invective style in his music can be the worst political song depicting invective barbs nowadays.

Tijjani Gandu is an exceptional political singer who uses minimal invective barbs. His songs are mostly for a one-sided party or his godfathers. Gandu is known for the centralised theme of his songs. He mostly only focuses on the party and the esteemed quality of his beloved and favourite politician.

“Abba Gida Gida” was the first song in 2019 to elevate Gandu’s reputation as a talented political singer. The song was accepted and spread to every nook and cranny. It was very stylish with its theme of mobilising for the then PDP gubernatorial flag bearer in Kano State (Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf). The candidate was challenged for not being famous. So, Gandu released the song “Abba Gida Gida”, which made the candidate very well-known.

Gandu is always ready to challenge any chaos in Kano politics to protect the governor’s dignity. It has been known for the whole week that Kano State Governor Abba was criticised for his open statement against the inappropriate action of the Kano Hisba. The statement was misconstrued. The people’s opinions were very different. Some supported the Governor’s statement, and some opposed it.

Amid the chaos, Tijjani Gandu released a song recently titled “Saƙona,” my message. In the song, the singer, Gandu, sends sympathetic messages that make thousands of people weep while listening to the music. The song has some words of mercy and humility. The saying “Abba ya san girman malamai, shi ya sa ya ɗau Hisbah ya ba ta kullalle” means Abba respects Islamic clerics, so he appointed the most deserving person to head the Hisbah.

The singer tried to maintain his dignity of not being an abuser – he doesn’t abuse anyone in the song – he only calls the attention of the entire public to discard any misconceptions from any political opponents of the Hisba saga.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Kano’s gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP) Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida Gida, has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Kano chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Abbas.

Abba Gida Gida’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, in a press statement made available to the Daily Reality on Monday accused the APC chairman in the state of instigating and orchestrating violent politics.

Abba Gida said the state APC chairman is notorious in making hate speeches and dishes out vitriol in every public gathering. He noted that this has be addressed in order to restore sanity in the polity.

On the allegations of orchestrating violence, Abba Gida said, there are numerous audio and video clips to support the allegations.

He therefore called on the security agencies to arrest and prosecute the APC chairman.

“We therefore to draw the attention of Security Agencies, all Stakeholders including other Political Parties that are also being intimidated by Abdullahi Abbas to as a matter of urgent public importance take all necessary actions against the person of APC chairman Abdullahi Abbas and his son Sani Abdullahi Abbas,” part of the statement reads.

The NNPP further stressed that if this is not addressed, they would be left with no option than to seek alternative means of protecting themselves and their members. They also said it may warrant them boycotting the signing of the peace accord

“We also want to state in clear terms that if the utterances of Abdullahi Abbas toward political violence are not squarely addressed, we will be left with no other option than to boycott the forthcoming signing of peace accord initiated by the National Peace Committee under the able Leadership of the Former Head of State, Gen. Abdussalam Abubakar and any other inter-party agreements toward 2023 elections as doing same may not guarantee the protection of lives and properties of the good people of Kano state,” the statement adds.

By Muhammadu Sabi’u

One of the strongest opposition parties in Kano State, the New Nigerian People Party, has reacted to the alleged involvement in the looting of a huge amount of money by some three Nigerian governors.
 
Recall that the news alleging that three currently serving state governors are being watched for attempts to launder money by paying employees’ salaries under the table resurfaced a few days ago.
 
Reacting to the allegation, a Deputy Public Relations Officer of the NNPP in Kano State, Hon. Musa Nuhu Yankaba, hints that one of the governors in question is Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State.
 
In an interview with Premier Radio Kano, he said, “If he [Governor Ganduje] refuses to come out and clear himself, we, as natives of Kano State and members of an opposition party, will not accept that, and we will expose him, so as to tell the people of Kano all that is going on and for proper action to be taken.”
 
Despite all these, the anti-graft agency, the EFCC, did not reveal the identities of the three governors involved in the scandals.
 
However, the chairman of the EFCC noted in an interview that two of them were from the North, and the third was from the South of the nation.
 
He added that information at the agency’s disposal showed that the three governors had come up with strategies to inject the money into the system by paying their state employees’ wages on a table-payment basis.

By Dr Ibrahim Siraj

Apparently, no governorship election ever in Kano has drawn a larger number of aspirants than the forthcoming 2023 elections. From the two major parties to other newer and smaller parties, no fewer than a dozen people are vying to lead our great Kano State.

There is however a great deal of interest in what happens in APC owing to the obvious reason that it is the ruling party in the State and the fact of its factionalization and the intrigues that surround it even as parties in the party’s leadership legal tussle await the verdict of the Supreme Court expected to be delivered any moment from now.

This notwithstanding, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) appears to have the largest number of aspirants many of whom have started mobilization through their support groups and the recalibration of their political structures throughout the State. Each of them though would hope to be Governor Ganduje’s ‘anointed’ candidate knowing full well the value and power of such ‘anointment’ in influencing the outcome of the primary election in Nigeria’s democracy. Other aspirants may not have the privilege of asking for more than just a level playing field.

While the search for Ganduje’s successor continues, some people are inclined to believe that The Kano State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo is the one going by some public utterances made by the Governor’s wife to that effect although the government was quick to issue a disclaimer to douse the tension generated by such outburst. There are others who feel the Governor would anoint his Deputy the same way he was anointed by Kwankwaso but in the hope that all will end well. And this brings me to my main topic.

For me, the farthest Murtala Sule Garo can go on a governorship ticket is the position of Deputy Governor due to reasons that are so obvious enough to be called common knowledge. Murtala Garo may be a tenacious, fearless, dependable and reliable political mobilizer in his own right but he appears to be lacking in so many qualities needed to govern a complex state like Kano: education (western and Islamic), administrative experience, exposure, charisma, urbaneness, etc. This is not to add the huge baggage of antagonists (I don’t want to call them enemies) that he has cultivated for himself either through his role as the most powerful Commissioner in Ganduje’s government or his role as “Commander” of the ruling party’s “militant wing”.

APC’s surest bet under the circumstances, therefore, is no other person than Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna. The Deputy Governor has all it takes to lead Kano in 2023. All that is lacking in Garo is present in Gawuna in sufficiently varying proportions. Gawuna is well educated and vastly experienced. He has the exposure, experience, sagacity, shrewdness, administrative acumen and humble mien to make a good governor. His cosmopolitan nature makes it easier for him to connect and relate well with the different strata of Kano society. His politeness coupled with his approach to politics makes him earn the respect of political gladiators across party divides. He abhors politics of bitterness and adversity. He, as a result, has the smallest number of antagonists possible for a politician of his calibre. Ultimately, he will be relatively an easy sell by a party suffering from a serious popularity crisis.

His over seven years as Local Government Chairman, his decade-old experience as Commissioner (and member of the State Executive Council) as well as his five years as Deputy Governor have more than prepared him for the job. None of the aspirants can boast of leadership skills and training acquired through years of on-the-job experience like Gawuna.

As a beneficiary of financially autonomous Local Government administration, Gawuna understands what it means to have a functional local government system that is able to cater for the immediate needs of our masses in the realization of the noble objective of bringing government closer to the people. He will be expected therefore to end the obnoxious joint state-local government account that has paralyzed governance at the local level and is further pauperizing our local populations.

Should APC field Gawuna and other parties equally field their own best, the task of choosing a good leader for Kano will be made much easier for the people. It will be a matter of choosing the best among the best for our State. We must therefore encourage all political parties to present their best materials so that whoever wins our dear State will be better off for it. The opportunity to vote for good leaders is often missed at the level of the primary election.

May Allah make the best of choices for us, Ameen!

Dr Ibrahim Siraj writes from Kano and is a lecturer with the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.