Ganduje lambasts Yusuf over court papers theft claim

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on Thursday, described as ridiculous and unreasonable the insinuation by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, that he (Ganduje) hired miscreants masquerading as protesters to break into the state high court and steal some ‘sensitive documents’ relating to his (Ganduje’s) corruption trial.

The Yusuf-led state government filed at least two corruption charges against Ganduje,  including one in which the ex-governor, his wife, Hafsat, son, Umar and others were accused of $413,000 and N1.38bn bribery.

In a statement on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Ganduje said Yusuf’s claim about stolen court documents called into question his capacity to handle Kano State’s security and judicial system.

Describing Yusuf’s claim as disingenuous, Ganduje said even if miscreants took away the documents in the court’s custody, what about the copy with the government’s lawyer handling the case?

Yusuf had on Wednesday told newsmen in Kano that ‘enemies of the state hired undesirable elements’ to vandalise the state high court, considered one of the state’s historic public buildings, and carted away the corruption charges files of the APC national chairman.

The governor made the statement after he paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the court, which was vandalised by hoodlums during the recent nationwide anti-hunger protests.

According to him, it was obvious that the vandals were on a sponsored mission.

But Ganduje’s aide said they found the allegation as preposterous and baseless.

He said, “It is laughable that governance has been reduced to a huge joke in Kano where a state government could condescend low to suggesting that demonstrators broke into a court and carefully selected documents relating to the trial of the APC national chairman, handpicked and take them away in this digital age.

“No discerning mind will buy into this pedestrian propaganda. What happened to the documents with the government’s lawyers? The state government is bereft of ideas on how to run the affairs of the state and has always resorted to churning out myriads of corruption allegations against Ganduje and his family, who served the state diligently.

“This claim is nothing more than a desperate attempt by Governor Yusuf’s administration to divert attention from their culpability in the violence that erupted in the state. The insinuation that such critical documents could be carted away during a protest is a clear indication of the state’s growing incompetence in handling both security and legal matters.

“Governor Yusuf should understand that the words and actions of leaders carry weight and have dire consequences. We stand with the people of Kano and call on all well-meaning citizens to remain calm and law-abiding while the authorities conduct their investigations.”