Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Members of the Kano State House of Assembly have unanimously endorsed the planned decision of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to defect from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing deepening legal and leadership crises within the NNPP.

KANO FOCUS reports that the lawmakers said remaining in the NNPP poses serious political and legal risks, warning that the party’s internal disputes and ongoing court cases could jeopardise the mandates of elected officials in the state.

The legislators recalled the political crisis in Zamfara State, where the ruling party lost power despite winning elections, as a key reason behind their support for Governor Yusuf’s proposed exit from the NNPP.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, the Majority Leader of the House, Lawan Hussaini, said the Assembly could not ignore what he described as the “dangerous legal situation” surrounding the party.

“There is an existing court judgement that recognises a particular faction of the NNPP,” Hussaini said. “We cannot continue to remain in the party and risk a repeat of the legal disaster that happened in Zamfara State.”

He explained that the NNPP is currently embroiled in rival leadership claims and multiple court cases, creating uncertainty over the party’s legal standing and the validity of its nominations ahead of future elections.

According to Hussaini, the Zamfara experience remains a painful reminder of how internal party disputes can nullify electoral victories. In the 2019 general elections, the APC won most elective offices in Zamfara State but failed to conduct valid primaries due to internal disagreements.

He noted that shortly before the inauguration of elected officials, the Supreme Court ruled that the APC had no valid candidates, declared the votes cast for the party wasted and ordered that candidates with the next highest votes who met constitutional requirements be declared winners.

The judgement handed the governorship to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Bello Matawalle, while the PDP also secured nearly all legislative seats in the state, despite losing at the polls.

Drawing lessons from that precedent, Hussaini warned that Kano could face a similar fate if the NNPP’s internal crisis remains unresolved. He said continued factional battles and litigation could invalidate the party’s candidates, even after successful elections.

The Majority Leader disclosed that this concern informed the Assembly’s decision to support calls urging Governor Yusuf and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to consider leaving the NNPP for what lawmakers described as a more stable political platform, including the APC.

He added that consultations were already ongoing with Governor Yusuf and Senator Kwankwaso to agree on what he termed a “strategic and timely” defection that would safeguard the mandate given to them by the electorate.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are set to roll out a joint refund framework aimed at resolving consumer complaints arising from failed airtime and data transactions.

KANO FOCUS reports that the initiative is part of efforts by both regulators to protect consumers who are debited for airtime or data purchases without receiving value due to network downtimes, system glitches or human errors.

The framework is the product of months of consultations involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and other key stakeholders. The engagements were triggered by a growing number of complaints from subscribers over unsuccessful airtime and data purchases and delays in refunds.

According to the NCC, the framework represents a unified position by the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such challenges. It identifies the root causes of failed transactions, including instances where customers’ bank accounts are debited without successful service delivery, and introduces enforceable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that clearly define the responsibilities of all parties involved.

Under the new arrangement, customers who are debited without receiving airtime or data will be entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee. However, in cases where a transaction is pending, the refund may take up to 24 hours.

The framework also mandates operators to notify customers via SMS on the success or failure of every transaction. It further addresses issues such as erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and transactions made to the wrong phone number.

Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, disclosed that the framework provides for the establishment of a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. She said the dashboard would enable both regulators to monitor transaction failures, identify responsible parties, track refunds and detect SLA breaches in real time.

“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to resolving priority consumer issues, we were determined to address this within the shortest possible time,” she said.

Mrs. Bruce-Bennett expressed appreciation to stakeholders, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria, for their commitment to resolving the issue and ensuring that telecommunications consumers receive full value for their purchases. She revealed that, pending final approval of the framework, MNOs and banks have jointly refunded over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.

She added that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, following final approvals by the management of both regulators and the completion of technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in collaboration with the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), has organised a six-day capacity-building programme aimed at strengthening the teaching and learning of English Language in public primary schools across the state.

KANO FOCUS reports that the training, which targets English Language teachers in selected Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs), is part of ongoing efforts to improve literacy outcomes at the basic education level in Kano State.

Speaking during a monitoring visit to one of the training centres in Takai Local Government Area, the PLANE State Team Leader, Malam Umar Lawan, said the programme is a continuation of the technical and capacity-building support PLANE has been providing to the Kano State Government over the last three to four years.

He explained that the initiative is designed to equip English Language teachers with modern, learner-centred teaching methodologies, while ensuring that pupils are exposed early to effective reading and speaking skills at the lower primary level, ahead of their transition to upper classes.

According to Malam Umar, the pilot phase of the programme is being implemented in four local government areas—Takai, Gabasawa, Minjibir and Karaye—covering 115 primary schools and involving 484 English Language teachers. He added that the six-day training would expose participants to innovative instructional strategies aimed at improving classroom delivery and learning outcomes.

In his remarks, the Deputy National Team Leader of PLANE, Mr Samuel Achimugu, expressed satisfaction with the dedication of the resource persons and the enthusiasm shown by participating teachers in engaging with the training content. He stressed that continuous professional development of English Language teachers remains critical to achieving quality education outcomes at the basic education level.

Mr Achimugu commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his commitment to revitalising the education sector in Kano State, and also praised the Chairman of SUBEB, Malam Yusuf Kabir, for his initiatives and leadership geared towards making basic education more progressive and effective.

Participants at the training described the programme as timely and impactful, expressing appreciation to PLANE and SUBEB for the support. They pledged to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to enhance the learning experience and literacy development of pupils in their respective schools.