The Kano State Task Force Committee on Voter Registration Mobilisation has intensified its campaign to encourage eligible residents to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) with an advocacy visit to Yan Lemo Market in Na’ibawa, the largest fruit market in Kano State. The outreach was carried out by the Sub-Committee on Engagement with the Business Community as part of efforts to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the ongoing voter registration exercise.

Speaking during the visit, Chairman of Yan Lemo Market, Alhaji Muhammadu, welcomed the delegation and commended the committee for identifying the market as a strategic partner in the voter registration campaign. He expressed appreciation for the initiative and appealed to the Kano State Government to make voter registration more accessible to traders and business owners, noting that the nature of their commercial activities often makes it difficult for them to leave their businesses to register.

Addressing the traders, the Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Engagement with the Business Community, Alhaji Tijjani Abdullahi Sarki, described the possession of a Permanent Voter Card as both a constitutional right and a civic responsibility. He urged eligible residents to take advantage of the ongoing registration exercise to secure their PVCs and participate in future elections.

According to Alhaji Sarki, the registration exercise is open to first-time registrants, Nigerians who have attained the age of 18 since the last voter registration exercise, individuals seeking to transfer their voting location following a change of residence, those requesting corrections to their personal information, as well as citizens whose voter cards have been lost or damaged.

He further assured the traders of the Kano State Government’s commitment to promoting wider voter participation across the state. He said the concerns and requests presented by the market leadership, particularly the need for easier access to registration centres for traders, would be forwarded to the main Task Force Committee for appropriate consideration and necessary action.

Also speaking during the engagement, the Secretary of the Sub-Committee, Alhaji Hassan Kofar Mata, thanked the market executives and traders for their warm reception and active participation throughout the sensitisation programme. He commended their interest in the exercise and encouraged them to mobilise other eligible members of the business community to register.

Responding to questions from traders, Alhaji Hassan explained the procedures for transferring voter registration from one Local Government Area to another, correcting personal records, replacing lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards, and other voter registration-related processes. He urged residents to take advantage of the ongoing exercise to regularise their voter information and ensure they are eligible to participate in future elections.

The advocacy visit forms part of the Kano State Task Force Committee’s broader campaign to increase voter registration and strengthen citizens’ participation in the democratic process through sustained engagement with critical stakeholders, including business communities across the state.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dissolved its Kano State executive committee and constituted a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the party pending the conduct of future congresses. The announcement was made on Monday in Kano by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North West), Hajiya Najaatu Muhammad, during a press briefing at the Kano Press Centre.

Addressing journalists, Hajiya Najaatu Muhammad said the newly constituted caretaker committee would be chaired by Alhaji Umar Bala. She explained that the decision was taken by the national leadership of the party in line with its constitutional responsibility to preserve the unity, continuity and constitutional integrity of the ADC in Kano State.

According to her, the dissolution of the state executives and the inauguration of the caretaker committee should not be interpreted as a victory for one faction over another but as a constitutional response to an administrative situation within the party. She stressed that the move was aimed at restoring stability and ensuring the uninterrupted administration of the party in Kano State.

Hajiya Najaatu stated that the national leadership acted in accordance with the provisions of the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act and its responsibility to safeguard the future of the ADC. She maintained that when circumstances create a leadership vacuum within a political party, it becomes the duty of the national leadership to take appropriate constitutional measures to maintain order, discipline and continuity.

She further emphasized that the constitution of the caretaker committee was not a judgment on the loyalty or commitment of party members across Kano State. According to her, thousands of members had sacrificed their time, resources and reputation to build the party at the grassroots and had remained committed even during difficult political periods, adding that their contributions remained appreciated by the national leadership.

Speaking on the mandate of the committee, Hajiya Najaatu said its primary responsibility was to heal divisions within the party rather than deepen them. She noted that the committee was expected to rebuild confidence in the party’s structures, strengthen its institutions, prepare for future congresses and ensure that every genuine member of the ADC had a place within the party.

She urged members of the caretaker committee to lead with fairness, humility, transparency and impartiality, saying their success would be measured not by the number of decisions they make but by their ability to reunite members under one platform. She advised the committee to consult widely, exercise patience and always regard leadership as a trust rather than a privilege.

The ADC Deputy National Chairman also appealed to party members across the 44 local government areas of Kano State to support the transitional arrangement in good faith. She assured members that the doors of the party remained open to everyone and called on stakeholders to embrace reconciliation, dialogue and unity in the overall interest of the party.

Hajiya Najaatu said the political environment ahead would require greater unity and discipline, warning that internal disagreements should not distract the party from presenting itself as a credible alternative to Nigerians. She urged members to channel their energy toward strengthening the party, mobilising supporters, expanding membership and engaging communities instead of focusing on internal divisions.

She expressed confidence that the future of the ADC in Kano State would be stronger if members remained faithful to the party’s constitution and democratic ideals. She called on members to replace division with dialogue, suspicion with trust and personal interests with the collective interest of the party, while praying for God’s guidance for the caretaker committee, Kano State and Nigeria.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a four-day ultimatum to South African businesses in Nigeria to leave the country.

This is contained in a statement on Monday in Enugu, by Bestman Okereafor, NANS national executive director, corporate and private sectors engagement.

Mr Okereafor stated that after the expiration of the ultimatum, South African business interests would face the wrath of the more than 43.1 million Nigerian students across the country.

“The attention of the apex students governing body, NANS, has been drawn to continuous attacks, intimidation and subsequent chase of law-abiding, peaceful and hardworking Nigerians and other Africans from South Africa.

“As the biggest student body in Africa, we are giving South African business interests four days to evacuate our beloved country, Nigeria.

“The reason for this action is simple: South Africans cannot continue to oppress and chase our people from their country and expect their businesses to thrive on our soil,” he said.

He also stated that immediately after the expiration of the ultimatum, the student body would consider picketing South African businesses, while further actions follow.

He called on the federal government and the African Union to take more decisive actions against South Africa for its “inimical” acts towards other Africans.

“It is on record that Nigeria played a major role in support of South Africa during the apartheid struggle and should never be paid with disloyalty, disrespect and global embarrassment,” he added.

It will be recalled that xenophobic attacks by South Africans on other Africans for some months had led to Nigerians being physically assaulted, embarrassed, intimidated, injured and some allegedly gruesomely murdered.

Several businesses and premises owned by Nigerians in South Africa were either completely burnt down or destroyed by rampaging South Africans during the xenophobic attack.

The perpetrators of these crimes had earlier given Nigerians and other Africans an ultimatum of June 30 to leave South Africa.

The federal government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had in recent weeks airlifted hundreds of Nigerians from South Africa back to Nigeria.