​By Halima Isyaku Dantsoho

​I read with a mix of amusement and concern the defense of Hon. Murtala Sule Garo by Hadi Abdullahi Muhammad, which attempts to frame the valid scrutiny of a public figure as a mere product of “internal power struggles.” While it is convenient to label every criticism a “media trial,” we must confront the reality that leadership is a sacred trust, not a reward for street mobilization. To suggest that Garo is the ideal choice for Deputy Governor—particularly in the wake of the recent political shift that saw Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf move to the APC—is to ignore the very “storm” the author claims to see. The vacancy in the Deputy Governor’s office exists because Kano is attempting to move past a season of distraction following the resignation of the former occupant; why then would the state replace a controversy with a liability? We are talking about a man who remains entangled in significant litigation regarding his past tenure as Commissioner, and to elevate such an individual to the second-highest office in the state would be like putting out a fire with petrol. It would lock the administration into a permanent state of legal defense, ensuring that the coming years are spent in courtrooms rather than on the construction of a better Kano.
​The author praises Garo as a “Commander” of the grassroots, yet in a state as economically vital as ours, “mobilization” is not a substitute for administrative integrity. The “grassroots” of which he speaks—the traders, farmers, and youths—are the primary victims when public funds are allegedly mismanaged at the local government level. True loyalty to the base is shown through transparent governance and the systemic protection of public wealth, not through the strategic distribution of startup tools during an election cycle. If the APC national leadership and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are truly committed to a “Renewed Hope” agenda, they must recognize that elevating a figure with such unresolved legal narratives contradicts the very integrity the party must represent in this new era. Perfection may not be the standard, but accountability is. Fairness does not mean ignoring a mountain of evidence in favor of political popularity; it means letting the courts decide a man’s fate before he is granted the prestige of high office. Kano has moved forward into a new political era, and it is time our leadership choices reflected a future built on stability rather than a return to the controversies of the past.

​Halima Isyaku Dantsoho is a freelance Journalist based in Kano.

Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, a prominent politician and grassroots mobiliser in Kano State, says it is healthy political evolution that politicians are being granted pardon in Nigeria.

Garo, who fielded questions from newsmen in Kano, also noted that repentant and forgiven politicians are allowed to actively participate in politics to add valour and strengthen democracy.

He was reacting to allegations over his involvement in financial sleaze while serving as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Kano during the administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Garo acknowledged desperate attempts by his adversaries to malign him and whittle down his growing political profile.

Garo, popularly known as MSG, was a Deputy Governorship candidate during the 2023 general election and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

He claimed that local councils in the state witnessed phenomenal development when he served as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs.

However, Sule Garo explained that the allegations of diversion of public funds for personal use have collapsed in the eyes of the Constitution and extant laws of Nigeria.

The existing constitutional provisions and laws averred that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven otherwise by a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Therefore, my media trial ran afoul of the law. Moreso, the allegations were not preferred against him but a group of suspects.

“Besides, the Kano State Government, being the complainant, has not shown interest in prosecuting me.

Another charge brought against me was dismissed by the court even as the state government decided to forgive me,” Garo claimed.

He cited for instance that Hon. Faruk Lawan and Alhaji Aminu Dabo, former Managing Director of NPA, were pardoned by the system and are actively participating in politics.

The politician therefore appealed to the good people of Kano State and other interested parties to disregard any malicious allegation against him because of his innocence before the law court and forgiveness by the state government.

Kano is the political hotbed of Northern Nigeria where politics is usually played with vigour, passion, speed and drama, and where you find no dull moments.

In Kano, political activities pick up immediately after an election, and continue to flourish till the next election.

Among such major political developments are the defections cum realignments of three gladiators – leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and former Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, who recently defected from the NNPP to the ADC, and another former Deputy Governor of the state,Dr.Nasiru Gawuna, who left the APC and moved to the ADC. These movements are described as the latest political tsunami sweeping across the ancient commercial state.

Most outstanding of such political events is the recent resignation of the Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, following an impeachment notice served on him by the State House of Assembly.

Comrade Gwarzo’s resignation instantly gave birth to a flurry of schemings, intrigues and jostling for the vacant position across the entire political spectrum.

Among the notables reportedly jostling for the number two position is Hon. Murtala Sule Garo, a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under the Ganduje administration, former Chairman of Kabo Local Government, and the running mate of the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections.

Others are Ismail Jibril Falgore, the incumbent Speaker of the State House of Assembly, and Salihu Sagir Takai, a former Commissioner in the then Ibrahim Shekarau administration.

Political analysts and many stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) believe that Hon. Murtala Sule Garo is the most qualified and suitable among the three contenders in view of his impeccable records both as a former Commissioner for Local Government, Local Government Chairman, as well as his grassroots political standing.

They also posit that Garo’s position as the running mate of the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 elections further gives him an edge over the other contenders, as his selection to fair in the joint ticket testified to his wide acceptance and his electoral value.

The analysts further submit that Hon. Garo as the next Deputy Governor of Kano State will add value to the APC administration in the state in view of his vast experience in politics and public service.

According to them, Garo will also bring to the Abba Kabir Yusuf administration and the APC a solid and well-oiled political structure that would boost their electoral fortunes in the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, sources close to the APC hierarchy have revealed that Hon. Murtala Sule Garo is the favoured candidate for the Deputy Governorship position, and that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf may tip him to fill the vacant position.

According to multiple sources, Governor Yusuf may have chosen Garo for the post, “and God willing Garo will soon be the next Deputy Governor of Kano State”.

The sources said the choice of Garo is in the spirit of inclusiveness, consensus and political sagacity to move the state forward.