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Re: Re: Kano 2027 Projection: APC Chances, Intrigues and Realistic Reality

Published

2 years ago

on

 

By Abba Anwar

All praises be to The Almighty Allah, that my write – up on the above subject matter ignited discussions, displeasure, sensible and below sensible observations.

My friend Adamu Mukhtar Unguwar Gini, the author of the rejoinder, who chooses to behave as a gentleman, has raised some issues, that I cherish from the bottom of my heart.

My friend I am sorry if some of my answers do not recognize your position as one of the Protocol officers of the National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON, and as Chairman Coalition of APC Youth Movement.

Or alleged self-assigned position of Protocol officer of the former Governor, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna or an alleged self-assigned Protocol Officer of Hon Nasir Bala Ja’o’ji. But all my submission I assure you will definitely be centered around issues you raised.

While assuring that you wouldn’t want join issues with me, you opined that, “The intention here is just to point at some salient issues skipped by the writer and underscores (sic) the need for establishing the imperative for peace and unity in our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

You said, “To me what the APC needs most now is peace and unity of purpose in order to wrestle power from the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano. Of course, every political party may have its peculiar internal wrangling, but I insist unity is the only option we have to get what we want.” I absolutely concur!

Let me jump down to the central point you raised, where you said and I quote, ” The three potential candidates mentioned by Anwar from Kano North are forces to (sic) reckon with. But the writer shrewdly skipped one very influential politician of national repute from the zone in person of Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, member representing Bichi Federal Constituency at the National Assembly… who has demonstrably shown that he is a leader who had long chosen to be different from others.”

What you fail to understand here is, JUST LOOK AT THE CONTEXT OF MY WRITE – UP. Hon Bichi does not belong to this context at all. If you really understand the contextual explanation. I did not mean his contributions in the party are ignorable or dumpable.

No where in my piece where I mentioned that, only those I made reference to, were the only people who could make difference in the scheme of things. You need to get this clearly.

In one of my recent write-ups titled “Kano APC Youth Coalition, Nasir Ja’o’ji and Party Survival,” go and Google the caption it is there online, I said, “Stars like Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, former Deputy Governor and Gubernatorial Candidate for 2023 election, HE Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, former Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs and former Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate for 2023 election, HE Murtala Sule Garo, HON ABUBAKAR KABIR BICHI, among others.”

The way I put Hon Bichi and didn’t include some of the names of those I included now, didn’t mean they were not important or relevant. Only that, they do not belong to the context of my piece. So it is the same thing here. Bichi is not within the purview of my context now.

In another recent write-up titled “DSP Barau : A Resilient Senator With Advanced Mind,” I wrote it when Barau sponsored 70 students abroad to study Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Robotic Science. After commending Barau for that and calling on other leaders to copy from him, I said in one of the paragraphs”… Senator Kawu Sumaila of Kano South and HON ABUBAKAR BICHI, representative of Bichi Federal Constituency, in the House of Representatives, HAVE ALREADY GONE FAR IN THIS DIRECTION. KUDOS TO THEM!”

He is reflected therein because the context allowed for that. Why didn’t you or your backers protested that I did not include other Honorable members? So I begin to wonder the sudden protest started and midwifed from somewhere and birthed through you.

Where were you all, when I gave Kudos to Hon Bichi? I think you people are doing bad public relations for Hon Bichi. What you are doing is not good for his image. You are only painting him in a corrosive manner.

Still under “Kano APC Youth Coalition, Nasir Ja’o’ji and Party Survival,” I included many names of party loyalists who are committed to the survival of the party. Simply because the context allowed that.

This is where I said, “People like Musaddique Wada Waziri, Malam Abdussalam Ishaq (Kumbotso), Umar Maiwayo Rimingado, my younger brother Inyass Habibu, Ibrahim Danyaro, Jijitar, Abubakar Indabawa, former Vice Chairman, Warawa, Dini Manchester Kankarofi, Abubakar Aminu, Hon Barwa, Sani Gilashi, Danfillo, Idris Zango, among many others, are playing very critical role in strengthening the grip of the party across the state and the nation at large.”

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Why didn’t you protest that, I did not include so and so person or Honourable? Because they do not belong here. But still that does not mean only those mentioned are the best in terms of party survival.

Very committed and hard working individuals like Aminu Dahiru and Barista Baburi, were not mentioned. Why? Because the context did not allow that. But the way I see it both Aminu and Baburi are far better than some of the people I mentioned. But I can’t include them because of contextual concord.

When I did the write – up on APC Youth Coalition, to my surprise, you as the Chairman of the Coalition, did not even call my attention to at least correct me if there was anywhere in the write-up I perceived wrongly. But I continued relating with you happily. Being a friend for that matter.

That was why I am still insinuating that your rejoinder was not merely for the sake of rejoinder, it must have been orchestrated from invisible backers, who do not see reason and wisdom in all that I said in my piece. Why? Because some people were praised beyond any reasonable doubt. Which they do not like. So is this the kind of unity you are talking about?

As you said, “No doubt, loyalty is a pride in political parlance. And Ganduje is an embodiment of loyalty. Rather than to ask his opponent, (sic) the question we should ask ourselves is (sic) how loyal are we to our leader and mentor, Dr. Ganduje? Do we all agree to his decisions in the event he made them?”

I am still grappling to know which part of my piece corresponds with this statement.

As you posit, ” While the APC in Kano may have an array of contenders to the office of the governor, the decision to adopt one remains with the party. We should not be bringing out issues that never existed or even if they do, in order to dent the image of others and promote those we support.”

Though you argued that none of the people cited in my piece, either officially or unofficially declared his intention to run for gubernatorial seat, why then are you acknowledging that, APC may have an array of contenders to the office of the governor? Do you really understand what you are saying here Malam Gini?

The rejoinder continues, “From what I understand, Anwar is saying his mind on where his interest tilted to. Neither the gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidate of the APC in the 2023 election nor the current Deputy Senate President have clearly made any official or unofficial pronouncement on their intention to vie for the governor’s ticket.”

Hello hello hello Unguwar Gini are you sleeping? Please wake up from slumber. Are you aware of the political implications of this statement for your political ambition? Let me ask for the second time, do you really understand what you are saying here? Hmmm.

The best way I understand this portion of your submission is, you could be one of those APC people who have the opinion that none of the three would-be-contestants is suitable for the seat. It is indeed being economical with the truth to talk in this way.

With all the praise singing accorded to Bichi in your write – up, no where before now when you did any similar write – up or something deeper in showcasing Bichi. Such behavior to me, is shortsightness in public relations. If you really believe in what you are saying concerning Bichi what other efforts did you make in the past to show to Nigerians how worth is Bichi? A challenge! Just go beyond posting his pictures in Ganduje Online or Gawuna Online, in such a primitive way and manner.

To cap it all, nobody is contesting how productive is Bichi and how progressive are all his interventions.

The rejoinder added, “The writer, while making a suggestion on the consolidation of the party’s strength, spread and unrelenting tempo be left with some hardworking individuals, he, to my understanding, inadvertently forgotten, is the likes of Comrade Muhammad Garba, Chief of Staff to the national chairman of the APC,”

This really shows you are totally out of touch with the context of my piece. People like Mohammed Garba do not belong here. We are talking of full fledged politicians. Not only that, even if one is a politician, he has to fit in to this context. Not all politicians we have in APC that fit in here. Talkless of professionals like Mohammed Garba. Please understand my contextual approach.

As a matter of fact, I think I should be in the better position to tell you, within the circle of professionalism, who Mohammed Garba is.

I laughed profusely when you said, “Another dimension to Anwar’s analysis which I would want to respond to is likening the APC’s victory or lack of it to the lingering Kano Emirate tussle. As somebody who has written widely on the subject matter, I do not think the writer truly believes the APC or its elements are banking on the crisis to settle political scores.”

Another misconception from the writer’s part is this issue of Emirate Tussle. No where in my piece I said so so group of people are banking on the crisis to settle political scores. I was just highlighting a possible feeling that, whoever thinks the issue can do miracle in party’s victory in 2027, such a person is deceiving himself. Simple!

Furthermore, as somebody who wrote in the past about this tussle, I think I should understand the crisis more clearly than Unguwar Gini. Who possibly didn’t write as short as two or three paragraphs in the past about it.

I hope this part is said with all sincerity of purpose and responsibility, “It is my firm belief that all the people mentioned by the writer have contributed to the success of the APC in the past and are ready to continue to lend their support to its success in the 2027 election year.”

Anwar, was Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje CON and can be reached at fatimanbaba1@gmail.com

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Opinion

Kano’s War On Drugs: How Barr. Muhyi’s Taskforce Is Changing The Game

Published

4 days ago

on

November 2, 2026

By

Muhuyi Magaji

 

By Muhammad Abubakar Suleiman

When Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf declared a public health emergency on drug abuse on July 22, 2026, and inaugurated the Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, many in Kano saw it as another committee. Three months later, the committee led by Barrister Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado is dominating security headlines in the state.

The Taskforce was constituted as a multi-agency platform bringing together NDLEA, Police, DSS, Consumer Protection Council, Pharmaceutical Society, Ministry of Health, Anti-Daba Unit and other stakeholders. Dr. Ibrahim Garba Muhammad serves as Secretary.

From Raids to Results: Over 400 Arrests

According to briefings by the Chairman, within the first two months the Taskforce arrested more than 380 suspects and secured over 230 convictions. By September 29, when Barr. Muhyi spoke at the Kano Network of NGOs (KANET) Monthly Lecture at Nasarawa GRA, the figure had risen to over 400 arrests.

Presenting its scorecard to the State Executive Council in late September, the Taskforce reported a 35% reduction in drug-related crimes in the last three months, attributing it to intensified enforcement, seizures and over 500 convictions as of October 22.

Operations have focused on identified hotspots: Race Course, Filin Idi, Filin Mahaha, Tashar Rami, Kawo, Tashar Rimi, Jakara, Madigawa, Yalwa, Sanka, Kul Kul, Dogon Nama and Kukar Bulukiya.

Recoveries include Cannabis Sativa, Tramadol, Diazepam, Pentazocine, Pregabalin, Exol-5 and a Methamphetamine-based designer drug. In one case, 870,000 capsules of Pregabalin were seized from a pharmaceutical company over suspected diversion. Local weapons – knives, daggers, cutlasses and clubs – used by gangs were also recovered.

The Taskforce also recorded high-profile arrests. On August 18, it announced the arrest of a former Chairman of Rogo Local Government for allegedly selling and administering fentanyl injections to youths, after a victim who spent over N2 million on injections identified him.

Latest: Gang Sponsor Tracked to Port Harcourt

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In its most recent operation, the Taskforce announced on October 30 the arrest of a 27-year-old suspected gang violence sponsor, Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, popularly known as Malam Keya, from Yalwa in Dala LGA.

According to the committee, Malam Keya was allegedly financing violent clashes by rival Daba gangs in Dala that claimed lives. He fled to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after crackdown intensified, but was tracked and arrested in an operation led by Head of Operations, CSP Bashir Gwadabe, and brought back to Kano. He is now in police custody pending prosecution.

Chairman Muhyi said the arrest outside Kano shows the Taskforce will pursue suspects beyond state boundaries.

Beyond Enforcement: Children, Rehabilitation and Technology

The committee says its mandate is not just enforcement. It reported rescuing 43 underage children allegedly exposed to intoxicants and convicting two dealers – Kabiru Isa and Usman Hamisu – for the offence. About 125 persons were referred to the Kano Reformatory Institute in Kiru for rehabilitation. With Kiru overstretched, government has provided an additional facility in Tofa.

The Taskforce has set an ambitious target of taking 10,000 youths off the streets for rehabilitation, skills acquisition and reintegration.

On August 21, Barr. Muhyi inaugurated nine sub-committees to professionalize the fight: Finance; Media and Publicity; Advocacy and Sensitisation; Licences, Inventory and Verification; Compliance, Inspection and Electronic Tracking; Monitoring and Implementation; Intelligence; Reformative and Traditional Council; and Anti-Drug Coordination.

Tech Turn: AI, 24-Hour Line and NDLEA Support

In the last two weeks, the Taskforce unveiled a new approach. On October 22, Barr. Muhyi, on behalf of Governor Yusuf, donated operational equipment to the NDLEA Kano Strategic Command led by Commander Dahiru Yahaya Lawan, to boost operations.

He also disclosed that Kano is deploying Artificial Intelligence for surveillance and tracking of suspected dealers, and equipping a rapid-response centre with ICT and a 24-hour toll-free line where residents can report and get response within 30 minutes.

At KANET lecture themed “Kano Drugs Crisis: Challenges, the Way Forward and the Role of the Community,” Muhyi stressed community intelligence and called for more rehabilitation to decongest remand homes.

No Sacred Cows

From day one, Barr. Muhyi has maintained a hard line on political interference. “No politician can pressure me to free drug suspects. The only person who can stop me is the Governor, and I know he will never interfere,” he told journalists on July 28.

That stance, coupled with intelligence-led raids, has earned the Taskforce both praise and scrutiny.

The Bigger Picture

Kano Police data cited by the Taskforce indicates about 70% of major crimes in 2025 were linked to drug abuse. The Executive Order outlawing Daba gangs provides a minimum of five years imprisonment under Section 97A of the Kano Penal Code.

Whether the Taskforce can sustain momentum will depend on three tests: securing the drug supply chain from pharmaceutical diversion, expanding rehabilitation beyond Kiru, and maintaining inter-agency cooperation without becoming a parallel enforcement body.

For now, in the markets of Filin Idi and the streets of Dala, residents say the presence of the committee is being felt.

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Opinion

The Reward For Hardwork Is More Work: A Rejoinder To Dr Garba Ubale Danbatta

Published

4 days ago

on

November 2, 2026

By

 

 

 

By Nworisa Michael

The redeployment of Hon. Comr. Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya PhD from the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has attracted several reactions. While professional and civic organisations have congratulated him and acknowledged his contributions, Dr Garba Ubale Danbatta, a supposedly veteran journalist, has chosen to use the development to question his performance and professional conduct in his former ministry.

Dr Danbatta is entitled to his opinion. Nobody should be above criticism, especially in public office. However, when criticism is presented as a professional assessment, it should be supported by facts, not merely personal convictions or years of experience.

Before concluding that journalism suffered under Waiya, perhaps we should examine some of the developments recorded during his tenure.

Eight contributions worth considering:

• Grassroots information: Strengthened engagement with Information Officers across Kano’s 44 local government areas and eight zonal offices.

• Capacity building: Supported training programmes for local government Information Officers, alongside interactive engagements with editors and news managers.

• Media policy: Facilitated the inauguration of an 18-member committee to develop a media and information policy framework for Kano State.

• Digital transformation: Established a Digital Multimedia Department to modernise government communication, improve digital engagement and address misinformation.

• Peacebuilding: Advanced the Safe Corridor Project, an initiative focused on rehabilitation, skills development and reintegration of reformed youths.

• Media engagement: Engaged media practitioners, online publishers and political programme presenters on responsible public communication and professional conduct.

• Institutional development: Pursued interventions aimed at strengthening state-owned media institutions and improving the capacity of personnel within the information machinery.

• National recognition: Received the Crisis Communicator of the Year award at the 2026 National Spokespersons Awards in Abuja.

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These developments do not mean that Waiya’s tenure was without shortcomings. They simply demonstrate that there is more to his record than the sweeping conclusion offered by his critic.

There is also something interesting about the public reactions to his redeployment. The Kano State Forum of Information Officers, Northern Youths Assembly and International Peace and Secure Society are among the organisations that have publicly acknowledged his contributions and congratulated him on his new assignment. Their statements may not settle every debate about his tenure, but they show that his work was not viewed negatively by everyone who interacted with his ministry.

Now, to Dr Danbatta’s presentation of his professional experience.

I found it rather curious that a commentary intended to assess another public officer’s performance devoted three of its concluding paragraphs to the author’s own professional journey, positions held and years of experience. One could almost finish reading the piece knowing more about the author’s resume than the evidence behind his criticism of Waiya.

Same individual who has been unable to ensure good working relationship with his staffs at Pyramid Radio Kano where is currently serves as its manager, a station that constantly runs out of diesel and goes off the air, perhaps even he isn’t proud of this hence he left it out from the list of his workplaces listed.

With due respect, professional experience is valuable, but it should strengthen an argument, not become the argument itself. A good product sells itself. A journalist’s professional standing should be reflected in the quality, fairness and depth of their analysis. Thirty years in the profession deserves recognition, but it does not automatically make every opinion conclusive.

If the intention was to assess Waiya’s stewardship, then the more important questions should have been: What did he inherit? What did he change? Which initiatives did he introduce? What measurable outcomes were achieved? And where did he fall short? Those are the questions that give criticism substance.

We can be safe to say that Waiya’s redeployment was a direct reward for his performance in the former ministry. The Governor has publicly explained the cabinet adjustments as part of efforts to strengthen institutions and improve service delivery. What is evident, however, is that Waiya has been entrusted with another important responsibility, and his record in the former ministry remains open to public examination.

The Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs is not beyond criticism, and neither is Dr. Waiya. But fairness requires that we acknowledge the work done alongside the shortcomings alleged.

Frankly the most fitting way to understand this new assignment is captured in the title of this piece: the reward for hard work is more work. His previous assignment is now part of his public record; his new ministry presents another opportunity to serve.

Congratulations, Hon. Comr. Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya. The expectations continue.

Nworisa Michael is a
Writer, Public Affairs Commentator and writes from nworisamichael1917@gmail.com
1st Nov. 2026

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Opinion

My Achievements At Kano State Ministry of Environment — By Dr. Dahir M. Hashim

Published

6 days ago

on

October 31, 2026

By

 

Looking back on my time at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, one change I value most is how the public came to see the sector itself. Environmental protection became a stronger part of conversations about our health, neighbourhoods, livelihoods, and Kano’s future. People increasingly joined the work, supported our programmes, and held us accountable.

For that, I thank the people of my dear state.

This journey began for me on 6 January 2025, when His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Executive Governor of Kano State, entrusted me with the responsibility of leading the Ministry.

The challenges were clear. Facilities had deteriorated, policies needed updating, enforcement was weak, and frontline workers were owed outstanding payments. Yet His Excellency saw what the Ministry could become and gave us the support to begin rebuilding it.

Our government-owned nurseries tell part of that story. Eight facilities that had become non-functional were fully rehabilitated, restoring our capacity to produce seedlings locally. Building on the administration’s three-million-tree planting programme in 2024, the programme grew to five million in 2025 and ten million in 2026, with all seedlings raised in government-owned nurseries. Behind those numbers was the recovery of public facilities that could continue serving Kano for years to come.

The same determination guided the restoration of the Kano State Pollution Control Laboratory. We renovated, equipped, and recommissioned it, giving the State the scientific capacity to test, monitor pollution, and support enforcement. We operationalised the Environmental Pollution Control Law and developed the Environmental Pollution and Waste Control Regulations to give that work a stronger legal foundation.

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At REMASAB, reforms improved the coordination of waste collection, evacuation, and disposal. Waste management became more organised and responsive, with operations supporting the evacuation of approximately one million metric tonnes of waste. The Dorayi Compost Plant was also brought back into operation, restoring the capacity to turn organic waste into useful compost and creating opportunities for investment.

Across flood-prone communities, we undertook drainage construction, clearance and erosion control. The stormwater harvesting intervention in Toranke and work on the Kano State Drainage Master Plan formed part of our effort to move towards better protection and long-term planning.

We also restored four public parks, with more underway. Spaces that had suffered neglect were given new management arrangements and a clear responsibility for maintenance. Families now have more welcoming places to spend time together, while the parks’ combined annual revenue increased from around ₦5 million to ₦90 million.

Alongside these projects, we rebuilt the policy foundations of the sector. We developed the Kano State Climate Change Policy, its implementation plan and results framework; advanced the Climate Change Bill; and reviewed the Forestry Law after more than five decades. We also developed the Climate Finance Reform Action and Implementation Plan and the Green Bond Framework to prepare Kano for environmental and climate investment.

Kano’s third-place finish in the just-concluded 2026 Climate Governance Performance Ranking, and the opportunity to present our work at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, gave us reasons to be thankful. They also reminded us how far consistent support and collective effort could take the state.

None of this work could have continued without the people delivering it every day. With His Excellency’s backing, we cleared nine months of salary arrears for 2,369 verified street sweepers and doubled their stipends, re-engaged inspectors and forest guards, and doubled the stipends of 875 sanitation vanguards. I remain grateful for their service.

Today, as His Excellency separates the ministries and appoints a new Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, my strongest feeling is gratitude.

To His Excellency, thank you for trusting me with this responsibility, listening to our proposals and supporting the decisions needed to carry them through.

To our staff and agencies, community leaders, development partners, civil society organisations, young volunteers, businesses and residents: thank you for standing with us. Your participation, patience and constructive criticism helped us improve. These achievements belong to everyone who contributed.

I congratulate the incoming Honourable Commissioner and offer my full cooperation to sustain the work we began together.

Serving the people of Kano State in this capacity has been a privilege. Thank you for the trust and support.

Dr. Dahir M. Hashim, Honourable Commissioner
Ministry of Water Resources, Kano State, writes from Kano.

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