Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has raised allegation against the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Wakili, claiming he gave protection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In an interview with Daily Trust, the governor said the police commissioner helped the opposition party rig the state governorship election.
Ganduje said the arrest of his deputy was unconstitutional and they could have chosen to take him to court for it.
He said: “He was giving them protection. He had no right to arrest a deputy governor. In fact, we could have taken him to the court for doing that because he went against the constitution, particularly because the deputy governor has immunity.
“Our supporters were sighted in that particular collation centre, so the deputy governor went to tell them that they should leave the place, not knowing that the commissioner of police had already dispersed them. And he allowed the opponents to come in. So, when the deputy governor went in, instead of him to see our supporters he fell in the hands of the opposition. So he was biased. A member of the House of Reps was also arrested. Two elected local government chairmen were arrested and taken to the police station. And we did not hear that any important person from the PDP was arrested. Is it not a bias?”
When asked about the police commissioner’s arrest of more than a thousand thugs in order to make the state and election peaceful, Ganduje described it as deception.
He said: “It was deception. During the main election he did not behave that way. I told him not to allow Kwankwaso go to Bebeji because of his utterances, but he said he had already given him permission. I said he could revoke it because there would be security challenges, but he refused. He allowed him to go and many people were killed during the presidential election and no arrest was made. Up till now, he hasn’t even found out who killed the people. I told him that if he abided by my advice, nobody would have lost his life. That’s why I told you that he was biased.”
Meanwhile, Governor Ganduje disclosed that new political appointees in his government will henceforth undergo drug test and clinically certified free from opium before being appointed in the new dispensation.
Speaking when he received a delegation of presidential committee on drug abuse led by General Muhammed Buba Marwa (Rtd) on Thursday, April 4 at Government House, Kano, Ganduje stressed that from May 29 this year, new appointments as special assistants, heads of agencies and commissioners will depend on passing the drug test.
Following concerns over abuse of hard substances in Kano, the governor stressed that his administration has concluded necessary arrangement to establish state-owned drug abuse agency to fight drug addiction.
