Headlines
Fresh political feud erupts between Kwankwaso and Ganduje
Nasiru Yusuf
A fresh political feud was erupted between governor of Kano state Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his former boss Rabiu Kwankwaso.
KANO FOCUS reports that the new crisis started on Sunday when Kwankwaso said Ganduje lost his reelection bid in 2019 but powerful forces imposed him on the state.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Kwankwaso described the alleged imposition on Kano residents as the “worst crime in a democracy”.
The former governor said many have realised their mistake and are ready for real change in the state in 2023.
“This country is fully aware that Ganduje lost the election in 2019 in Kano, but the powers that be ensured that they imposed him on the majority,” he said.
“They imposed the will of the minority on the majority which is the worst crime in a democracy. I think everybody is paying the price now. I think some of them are trying to correct their mistakes now after the maximum damage made to the state. It is very unfortunate that many people could not see what the masses were seeing.
“There were reasons he would not have been allowed to contest in 2019, but the powers that be at the time insisted that he should continue. The masses decided to do what the leaders couldn’t do. They still came out to use power at that time and those of us who believe in peace didn’t want to start a crisis in Kano.”
The former minister said there are many young people joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 polls.
“Instead of us being weak, they are the ones getting weaker. Every day, we have people, the masses crossing to our side. Many of them who were below 18 years of age during the last elections, but are now of age, are coming to register with us,” he said.
Kwankwaso said direct primary mode is more democratic but governors do not want it because their power will be curtailed.
“After practicing the indirect primary, I can easily compare and say the direct one is more democratic and better than the indirect,” he said.
“One thing that I believe is that the governors and other powerful people will never want to approve a direct primary because the power will get out of the government houses and land in the hands of the voters and members of the party.
“So, they will never want it.”
Ganduje fires back
In a swift reaction, the Kano State government has dismissed a claim by the former governor that Ganduje did not win the 2019 gubernatorial election but imposed on the people by powerful forces.
The Commissioner for Information, Kano State, Muhammad Garba, in a statement on Sunday titled, ‘Ganduje won election not imposed, KNSG dares Kwankwaso,’ refuted the claim, saying that Kwankwaso managed “a well-organised election rigging network, particularly in the metropolitan local governments, where youth, mostly without even voters’ card were engaged to perpetrate the act.”
According to Garba, “It was vividly clear that barely hours into the voting, most of the ballot boxes were said to have been stuffed, only for the Independent National Electoral Commission to discover that either card readers were not used or the voters are not captured in its data and therefore had to cancel the results from many centres and declared the election inconclusive.”
He noted that it was unfortunate that as a leader who was severally involved in the election process, Kwankwaso is still contesting the result of an election conducted by a statutory body and upheld by courts of law.
The commissioner said, recently, Kwankwaso was in the media cautioning his followers against unguarded utterances but ended up making incendiary rhetoric unbecoming a person of his calibre.
He said the interview Kwankwaso granted Sunday PUNCH in which he “attempted to rubbish the Ganduje administration” has done him more harm than good which completely negates the spirit of genuine peace and reconciliation he preached to his followers in the last few days to avoid derailing.
Garba stated that Kwankwaso should have thanked Ganduje for completing many of the projects he abandoned, saying that the people of Kano are paying the price for the unparalleled policy of continuity that saw the completion of many projects in the last six years in the state.
He enumerated the projects to include “Aminu Dantata Flyover, Yahaya Gusau Road and Prince Audu Underpass, Five-kilometre roads in Dawakin Tofa, Ungogo, Warawa, Rano and Tofa local governments; Mahmoud Salga Road, Jaba-Rimin Kebe Road, Independent Power Project at Tiga and Challawa Dams, among many others.”
On education, which was the centrepiece of the Kwankwaso administration, the commissioner noted that as far as education is concerned, the Ganduje administration has done more, including payment of burden of over N15bn backlog scholarships to needy students overseas left by the Kwankwaso administration.
He said that N3.5bn had been paid for students in Sudan; N4.5bn for Cyprus; N384m for those in France, while it is paying students in Egypt and India.
Garba said, in addition to implementing the Free and Compulsory Basic and Secondary Education, the Ganduje administration has carried out massive infrastructure development in all its tertiary institutions and accreditation of many courses they offer.
He, therefore, assured Nigerians that despite the agitation for reconciliation that is ongoing among party leaders, the Ganduje administration would accordingly react to any attempt to downplay “the achievements it has recorded and will not be distracted from carrying on with the responsibility for which it was elected into office.”
Kano legislator Masu dumps NNPP for APC
A member of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and a member of the Kano State House of Assembly representing Sumaila Constituency, Hon. Zubairu Hamza Masu, has defected from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
KANO FOCUS reports that Masu addressed his resignation letter to the Speaker, Ismail Falgore, and it was read during Monday’s plenary session.
However, Masu cited internal crises bedevilling the NNPP, including factional disputes and ongoing litigations, as his reasons for leaving the party.
He specifically emphasised the multiple claims of leadership within the party at both state and national levels, naming Dr Suleiman Hashim Dungurawa and Senator Mas’ud El-Jibrin Doguwa as those claiming control at the state level, while Dr Ahmed Ajuji and Dr Agbo Major were also asserting authority at the national level.
Masu’s resignation takes effect from 12 May 2025, and he pledged his full allegiance to the APC leadership at all levels.
Headlines
Dangote donates N15billion to Kano varsity, offers Automatic jobs to best graduating students
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Group President of the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has announced the donation of a whooping N15billion to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil (ADUSTECH), Kano State.
KANO FOCUS reports that. Alhaji Dangote, who is also the Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) was reappointed the Chancellor of the University.
In his speech at the 5th convocation ceremony, he said the University must be repositioned to lead the race of producing cutting edge research and highly skilled manpower that meets the requirements of market demands, industries and real problem solvers in the Nigerian society.
He said: “It is in this vein that I wish to use this opportunity to announce the launch of the 5-year Development plan which I envision for this institution.
“Over the next 5 years, we will commit the sum of N15 billion to the following projects: the design and construction of additional student hostels; the design and construction of a world class Engineering Lab; the design and construction of a world class multipurpose computer lab -open to all students of the institution which will also be equipped with 24-hour internet access to support academic research and the installation of a mini-solar plant to support access to power on campus.”
He added that: “We also undertake to design and construct a befitting Senate building that will house the administration of this institution. Finally, we will also reserve post-NYSC employment slots for the best performing graduates in Engineering and other related courses that form part of our areas of interest at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Plant and Dangote Cement Plants.”
Alhaji Dangote said the funding for such an institution places a significant burden on the government, which is why, through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, it was able to offset the University’s electricity bill to ease the strain on their finances.
“Additionally, to support the infrastructural drive of the University, we built two blocks of Male and Female Hostels with 500 bed spaces each.
“We also ensured the availability of electricity in a specialized University like ours for continuous teaching, learning and research, via the connection of the University to a 33KVA line, and provided a 2.5 MVA transformer and six (6) step-down transformers. This, I believe, has gone a long way in solving the energy needs of the University.”
Dangote therefore congratulated the vision of those who dreamt of the institution 25 years ago.
“An institution that began with a student population of 88, today has a population of more than 21,877 students and this combined convocation has a total of about 18,000 graduates. This is indeed a milestone,” he added.
In his address, Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf of Kano State commended Alhaji Dangote for contributing financially and morally towards the development of the University, adding that, “all of us will continue to remember you as a visionary and African illustrious industrialist.”
The University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Musa Tukur Yakasa said 18,000 students were being celebrated during the convocation ceremony, having graduated from the university in the last ten years to date.
Business mogul Chief Arthur Eze, founder of Max Air and billionaire Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal, Senior Advocate Ahmad Adeniyi Raji, and oil magnate and founder of Amasco Oil Al-Mustapha Ado bagged honorary doctorate degrees.
The VC said the University has recorded significant strides in its academic journey to greater heights, including program accreditation and a mathematical digital model designed by a university product, Mahmoud Mubarak, for measuring deforestation density.
Mu
Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has recorded a landmark academic achievement following the release of the results from the 2024 accreditation exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
In what has been described as a resounding endorsement of the University’s academic standards and quality assurance framework, all 53 academic programmes presented for evaluation were granted full accreditation or accredited status.
The accreditation, conducted between October and November 2024, covered undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across key faculties including Administration, Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, Arts, Computing, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Social Sciences.
According to a statement signed by the University Registrar, Haruna Aliyu, the development affirms BUK’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, curriculum innovation, and sustained infrastructural and faculty development.
“This milestone is a testimony to the quality of education and institutional governance at BUK. It validates our position as one of Nigeria’s premier universities,” the statement said.
Key Highlights:
• Administration Faculty recorded full accreditation across 13 programmes including the Master of Accounting and Financial Management, MBA, and Islamic Banking & Finance.
• Agriculture, Medicine, Pharmacy, and all Engineering programmes received full accreditation, reinforcing the University’s strength in science-based disciplines.
• The Education Faculty had a sweeping success with 14 programmes earning full accreditation.
• Courses in Arts, Social Sciences, Computing, and Science were all rated “Full” by the NUC.
This success is more than academic—it means that all current and prospective students of these programmes can be assured that their education meets the highest national standards. It also ensures the continued recognition of their certificates for employment, postgraduate studies, and participation in national youth service.
Strengthening Nigeria’s Higher Education Landscape
The Registrar expressed appreciation to the National Universities Commission for its rigorous evaluation process and acknowledged the dedication of BUK’s Deans, Heads of Departments, academic staff, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to meet and surpass the benchmarks.
“This achievement is not an end but a motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge, research, and community engagement. We remain committed to nurturing leaders and innovators who will contribute meaningfully to Nigeria and the world,” he added.
As BUK celebrates this landmark, the University is inviting stakeholders, prospective students, parents, and the global academic community to partner in its journey of growth and excellence.
Kano legislator, Masu dumps NNPP for APC
Dangote donates N15billion to Kano varsity, offers Automatic jobs to best graduating students
Mangal sponsors Hernia, Hydrocele surgeries for 12,300 vulnerable patients
BUK Achieves 100% Success in 2024 NUC Accreditation: 53 Programmes Fully Approved
