The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, and former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje separately faulted Governor Abba Yusuf’s handling of security challenges in the state and accused his administration of diverting attention from urgent governance concerns.
At the end of the 34th State Executive Council meeting on Thursday, the state government alleged that Senator Barau made comments capable of undermining ongoing security operations.
But Barau, in a strongly worded statement signed by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, dismissed the claims as false, reckless and malicious, insisting the allegation was fabricated to smear his reputation.
He challenged the government to produce any clip where he made such remarks, saying he had instead been at the forefront of supporting security agencies in the fight against bandit incursions in parts of the state.
“It is unfortunate that the state government has relegated governance to concocting lies. There was no time Senator Barau uttered any statement capable of undermining security efforts,” the statement said.
Barau highlighted various interventions he facilitated, including operational vehicles for police formations, motorcycles for personnel, renovation of police facilities and the establishment of security training institutions in Gwarzo, Kabo and Bichi.
He urged Gov. Yusuf to wake up from his slumber and take charge, lamenting that misgovernance had eroded Kano’s long-standing economic standing.
“Our beloved state used to be a close second to Lagos in terms of prosperity, but the governor is not taking steps in that direction,” he added.
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Similarly, former Governor Ganduje dismissed the state government’s call for his arrest over alleged comments linked to militia activities.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Ganduje described the call as reckless, baseless and a sign of incompetence, accusing the governor of running from his responsibility to secure the state.
He said rather than addressing the escalating insecurity ravaging Bagwai, Shanono, Tsanyawa and other areas, the governor had chosen to chase shadows.
“At a time communities are living in fear, the governor has neither visited nor shown empathy to victims,” he said.
Ganduje maintained that he was never associated with violence, noting that his administration kept Kano peaceful for eight years.
He urged Gov. Yusuf to focus on protecting residents instead of issuing frivolous statements aimed at diverting public attention from his failures.
