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Who Holds the Walls of Kano?-Abdulganiyu Rufai

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10 months ago

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By Abdulganiyu Rufai Yakub

When city walls keep collapsing while houses remain bare, and there seems to be no ready replacement in sight, a deep emptiness echoes across the land. This thought has haunted me since the passing of Alhaji Aminu Dantata, the last of a dying breed whose mere mention commanded reverence and whose doors remained open to all peasants, royals, politicians, and technocrats alike.

I remember vividly an interview granted by the late Maitama Sule, Dan Masanin Kano, in which he spoke about the death of Malam Aminu Kano. That death, he said, left a vacuum in the state a vacuum for the occupant of what he described as “the Good Office.”

After Malam Aminu’s death, Maitama Sule was approached to come back from his diplomatic duties to take up that mantle. His response was a revelation of true self-awareness. He told them he was not in good standing to occupy the Good Office of Kano. He said he could not replace Malam Aminu Kano, citing his weakness for pleasure and his inability to fully accommodate the plight of the ordinary people of Kano.

Yet, as time passed, Kano saw him rise to fill that very role he humbly rejected. He became the rallying point for the oppressed and the convenor of the Manyan Kano men like Alhaji Tijjani Hashim, the late Galadima of Kano; Emir Ado Bayero; Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata; the late Magaji Dan Batta; and many others. His words became almost final in Kano. When Maitama Sule spoke, even the most powerful listened.

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Years later, in a quiet conversation with an elderly statesman, I was told of how Maitama Sule sent his disciples to meet the late Alhaji Bashir Tofa, urging him to take up the mantle of the Good Office. In his message, he asked Tofa to drop his exclusive Western lifestyle and return to embrace the people as their shield, leader, and conscience.

Maitama Sule said Bashir Tofa was the man who understood the intricacies of Nigerian politics and its shifting dynamics, a businessman with the economic intellect to steer the Good Office with dignity. And it came to be. Alhaji Bashir Tofa became the leaning shoulder of the oppressed, the well of wisdom in political decisions, and the rallying point for direction in Kano. He often convened the remaining Manyan Kano: Barr. Auwalu Yadudu SAN, Prof. Sule Bello, Barr. A.B. Mahmood SAN, Dr. Shamsuddeen Abubakar, and others.

But even he faced obstructions from Ganduje, the then Governor of the state; his boss, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; and other powerful actors in the shadows of Kano’s politics. Today, almost all of them are gone. Only Alhaji Aminu Dantata remained as the final say, and now he too is no more.

So I ask, as one haunted by history and fearful of a rudderless future:

Who holds the Good Office of Kano today? Who remains as the wall of Kano?

Is it Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso? I doubt it. Deeply political, he cannot handle the Good Office in its purity. His rivals and antagonists will never voluntarily submit to his authority in matters beyond politics. Is it Sanusi Lamido Sanusi? Perhaps. Had he not chosen to return as Emir of Kano and maintained his Khalifaship, perhaps he would have earned that final moral voice.

Ganduje? His charisma has been eroded by scandalous campaigns during his time in power, and his moral capital lies deeply fractured.

Today, the walls of Kano lie bare. The houses remain exposed to the storms of selfish politics, unchecked economic sabotage, and moral bankruptcy. There is no single person who can call anybody in or outside power – in Kano or in Abuja – and they will come without hesitation. There is no one who looks at the interest of Kano and its people without political or personal bias.

So, who will be the man with the Good Office? Who will become the walls of Kano?

Perhaps, just perhaps, it is not about a man anymore. Perhaps it is time for a generation to rise and become the moral wall not one person, but a collective shield of conscience, compassion, wisdom, and service. For if no one steps up, the city walls will keep collapsing, and one day, even the houses will no longer stand.

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Nigeria, Türkiye Strike Defence Deal for Major Military Training Facility to Boost Security

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43 minutes ago

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April 19, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nigeria and Türkiye have agreed to establish a major military training facility in Nigeria as part of a defence partnership aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture.

The agreement was reached during bilateral talks between Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, and his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026.

According to a statement on Sunday by the Ministry of Defence’s Chief Information Officer, Queeneth Iheoma-Hart, the planned training centre will serve as a long-term hub for capacity development, with Nigeria already identifying a suitable coastal location for the permanent facility.

She said a temporary site is also expected to be provided to kick-start operations.

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Under the arrangement, Nigerian Armed Forces personnel will undergo specialised training in areas such as Special Forces operations, counterterrorism, intelligence integration, counter-drone and counter-IED operations, as well as United Nations pre-deployment exercises.

The statement partly read, “The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), led a high-level Nigerian delegation to productive bilateral talks with the Turkish Minister of Defence at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026.

“The delegation included the Chief of the Air Staff, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy, the Defence Adviser and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Nigerian Embassy in Türkiye.

“Training and capacity development: Türkiye proposed structured, scalable training programmes for Nigerian Armed Forces in areas including Special Forces operations, counterterrorism, intelligence integration, counter-drone and counter-IED operations, and UN pre-deployment training.

“Immediate deployment of an initial cohort to Türkiye was agreed, alongside Turkish language instruction and participation in field training exercises.

“Both parties agreed to establish a major military training facility in Nigeria as a long-term centre of excellence; Nigeria will provide a temporary training site and has identified a suitable coastal location for permanent infrastructure.”

Beyond training, she said the partnership includes provisions for technology transfer, defence industry collaboration, and co-development of military capabilities.

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Ex-Governor Shekarau Joins APC for Third Time, Cites PDP’s Challenges

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1 hour ago

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April 19, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A former Kano State Governor, Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau, has dumped Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for All Progressives Congress, APC.

Available records show that he is joining the party for the third time since its formation.

Mr Shekarau announced the decision while addressing supporters at his Mundubawa residence in Kano on Sunday.

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The two-term former governor said that the decision followed wide consultations with his political group and after weighing so many options.

“We took the decision after wide deliberations and weighing several options which include joining the APC after realising that PDP is facing so many challenges.

“We cannot align with ADC, a party filled up with people of personal interests, a party struggling to gain its feet,” Mr Shekarau said.

He called on his supporters to formally resign their PDP membership from their wards and go to their APC leaders on how to register with the party in order to meet the deadline for registration.

Mr Shekarau is expected to communicate the date he will be leading his teeming supporters to visit his Giginyu ward in Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state to carry out his APC party membership registration.

The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, had, on April 8, visited Kano to plead with Shekarau to join the party and work for its victory in the 2027 general elections.

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JAMB Arrests Two, Parent over Result Falsification

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22 hours ago

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April 18, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced the arrest of two candidates and a parent for falsifying 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results using Artificial Intelligence and other electronic tools.

The disclosure came as the board released scores for 632,788 candidates who sat the examination on Thursday, April 16.

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JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement, said the suspects were apprehended for manipulating official SMS result notifications to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to deceive others, including parents and guardians.

“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement read.

Benjamin warned that such conduct constituted a serious criminal offence and that the board would pursue all culpable persons to the full extent of the law.

He also cautioned candidates against tampering with result messages from JAMB’s official SMS platforms, 55019 and 66019.

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