THISDAY

Corruption Allegation: Stop Using Diversiona­ry Tactics to Cover Your Failures, Ganduje Tells Yusuf

- Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The National Chairman of the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has called on the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, to stop using diversiona­ry tactics to cover up for his alleged failure to deliver to the people of the state.

His reaction may not be unconnecte­d to the decision of the Kano State government to file criminal charges against him over alleged bribery of $413,000, and N1.38 billion.

Ganduje, in a statement issued yesterday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, described the latest antics of the governor as unfortunat­e.

He added that it was also a sorry attempt to shift public glare from the fact that there was really nothing on the ground in the state to justify the sharp increase in statutory allocation­s to the state since the inception of the President Bola Tinubu-led administra­tion in May 29, 2023.

The chairman added that the latest attempt by the state to drag his name in the mud would fail, adding that it spoke volumes of the level of crass ignorance and disregard for the rule of law by the Governor Abba Yusuf-led administra­tion.

Ganduje, who governed the state between 2015 to 2023, also described the decision by the administra­tion to set up two committees to probe him over alleged misappropr­iation of public property, political violence and missing persons in the state as a welcome developmen­t.

He, however, observed that it would have been in the best interest of the state to extend the dateline of the probe to flag off from 1999 to date.

Ganduje noted: "In their desperate attempt to malign me and my family, they either forgot or probably cannot conduct themselves by the dictates of the law.

"They failed to take judicial notice of the recent pronouncem­ent of the Federal High Court in Kano which ruled that the so-called offence I am being accused of is a federal offence that can only be prosecuted by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

"Rather than join issues with my traducers in Kano over the trumpedup charges levelled against me, I would implore them to redirect their energies towards easing the plights of our people in Kano," Ganduje counselled.

"They still have the opportunit­y to revert to my blueprint for the sustainabl­e growth and developmen­t of Kano State. It is not yet late in the day for them to emulate my developmen­tal strides. They can still salvage the situation as my tenure was devoid of any wrongdoing­s.

"As the saying goes, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. It shouldn't be seen as targeted at my administra­tion alone. It should not be seen to be borne out of malice, vindictive­ness and ill will. It should be for public good and interest," he declared.

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