The political tension in Kano has continued as Nigeria police chief, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the appearance of Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, spokesperson to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
This latest police invitation is tied to the controversial 2024 suspension of the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje — a political heavyweight in the state.
The police believe Dawakin-Tofa played a major role in orchestrating the drama that led to Ganduje’s temporary removal by his ward’s party executives.
In an official letter dated May 23, 2025, the IGP asked the Kano State Government to release Dawakin-Tofa for questioning.
The letter, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Akin Fakorede, claimed the governor’s aide is being investigated for criminal defamation, impersonation, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. The police want him to appear on May 29 before one of their top officers, SP Mojirode B. Obisiji, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
This isn’t the first time the police have gone after Dawakin-Tofa. Back in December 2024, a similar arrest order was issued over the same matter — a development that triggered legal battle between the police and the Kano government.
At the heart of this saga is a long-standing political feud between Ganduje and Dawakin-Tofa, both of whom hail from the same area in Kano. Their rivalry stretches back to 2015, when Ganduje, then governor-elect, allegedly ordered Dawakin-Tofa’s arrest over his opposition during that year’s election.
In 2024, Ganduje was suspended by the APC executive committee in his ward — a move the party later disowned, but one that stirred massive political ripples.
Fingers immediately pointed at Dawakin-Tofa, with Ganduje accusing him of plotting the whole thing to crush him (Ganduje’s) in Kano.
In response to the initial police move against him last year, Dawakin-Tofa secured a court order shielding him from arrest, detention, or harassment.
That injunction covered not only the IGP, but also the DSS, Civil Defence, and senior police officers involved in the case. However, that legal protection hasn’t stopped the latest police action.
His legal team has since appealed a ruling by a Kano High Court that dismissed his suit against Ganduje and the police, hoping the Court of Appeal will offer relief.
The political tension in Kano is only getting thicker, especially with the 2027 general elections on the horizon.
Tension in Kano as IGP summons Gov Abba’s spokesman over Ganduje
