By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
A fierce war of words has erupted between two former governors of neighbouring states, as Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano firmly rejected allegations from Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna linking him to the disappearance of activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata.
In a strongly worded rebuttal, Ganduje’s media office described El-Rufai’s claims as a “reckless and unfounded” attempt to deflect responsibility for an incident that occurred entirely within Kaduna State’s jurisdiction.
The statement, signed by former Kano Commissioner for Information, Comrade Muhammad Garba, dismantled the allegations point by point, insisting that Dadiyata lived and operated in Kaduna, where his critical activism was primarily directed at the Kaduna State Government.
“Everyone in Kaduna knew the nature of the criticism he made and who it was directed at,” Garba stated, emphasizing that security responsibility at the time rested squarely with the Kaduna State Government and federal agencies operating there. He argued that there is no credible record indicating the activist’s primary focus was ever the Kano State Government or Ganduje personally.
The statement went further, drawing a sharp contrast between the political climates fostered by both leaders during their tenures. Garba painted Ganduje’s two-term administration as a model of tolerance and open engagement.
“Unlike many political leaders who maintained strained relationships with the media, we allowed scrutiny, accommodated critical voices and even learned from dissenting perspectives,” Garba asserted, adding that there was no record of arrests, intimidation, or harassment of journalists or critics in Kano during that period.
This defense implicitly challenges El-Rufai’s credibility, suggesting the former Kaduna governor is projecting his own experiences onto a political rival.
The statement specifically targeted El-Rufai’s claim that a police officer allegedly confessed to being sent from Kano to abduct Dadiyata. Garba questioned why such explosive information, if credible, was never formally disclosed to investigative authorities.
“It is difficult to reconcile a claim of having no prior knowledge of the individual with simultaneously making detailed assertions about who was responsible,” the statement read, pointing to an apparent inconsistency in El-Rufai’s narrative.
Garba also referenced public commentators like former Senator Shehu Sani and Reno Omokri, noting that public discourse surrounding Dadiyata’s disappearance has consistently centred on events within Kaduna State—not Kano.
While expressing genuine sympathy for Dadiyata’s family, Ganduje’s camp stressed that efforts should focus on uncovering the truth through lawful and transparent investigations, rather than political blame-shifting.
“The family deserves closure. What they do not deserve is for this tragic matter to become an instrument of political blame-shifting,” Garba said.
He urged anyone with credible information regarding the disappearance to present it to appropriate authorities, emphasising that accountability must be based on verifiable facts and due process—not political rhetoric designed to distract and confuse the public.
The rebuttal signals that Ganduje is prepared for a protracted political battle, demanding that serious allegations be backed by evidence rather than deployed as weapons in what appears to be an escalating feud between two of the North’s most influential political figures.
