In a recent development, the Maliya Media Reporters have raised concerns over the dissemination of fake news allegedly spread by Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the spokesperson of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf. The controversy centers around a story titled “Ganduje Loses Grip As 44 Former Council Chairmen Defect to Barau APC Faction,” which was posted on the WhatsApp platform, Kano News Room, by Tofa. The media group claims the story is baseless, misleading, and a deliberate act of mischief, likely carried out on behalf of the Kano State Governor.
According to a statement released by Comrade Adamu Abdullahi Karkasara, Chairman of Maliya Media Reporters, a screenshot of Tofa’s post indicates that the story was shared at 4:32 pm on Friday, with a directive for journalists to attribute it to anonymous sources. Karkasara argued that if Tofa was the source of the story, he should have issued it as an official statement from the Kano Government House, complete with his signature, rather than resorting to anonymous sources.
The Maliya Media Reporters commended the professionalism of Kano journalists, who refrained from spreading the unverified story, upholding the ethical standards of journalism. The group also urged editors and publishers in both online and traditional media to be vigilant against such fake news.
To clarify the facts, the media group noted that on Thursday, former chairmen from the 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kano State, led by Alhaji Muhammad Baffa Takai, visited Abuja to meet with the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin. The purpose of the meeting was to congratulate Senator Barau on the establishment of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) and to express their gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the NWDC bill into law.
The media group emphasized that no discussions about the APC or any political party took place during the meeting, which focused solely on attracting more development projects to Kano State.
In light of these revelations, the Maliya Media Reporters called on Tofa to desist from spreading false information that could sow discord among political leaders in Kano. The group urged leaders across all political parties to work together for the development of Kano and Nigeria, in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Finally, the group expressed hope that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf would intervene and caution Tofa against further dissemination of fake news, emphasizing that unity and collective effort are crucial in addressing the challenges facing Kano State.
