Kano gov suspends receipt of official files, triggering administrative gridlock

Kano State is facing an apparent standstill in government operations after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf directed all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to suspend the forwarding of official files to his office until further notice.

The directive, communicated to commissioners by the Secretary to the State Government, Farouk Ibrahim, came at the end of a State Executive Council meeting on December 18, 2025, and has effectively halted routine administrative processes at the Government House.

According to reports, many files awaiting the governor’s attention since September have been returned to their originating MDAs, and the Government House registry has stopped accepting new submissions for several weeks.

A senior government official, speaking anonymously, described the move as unprecedented in the state’s administrative history, warning that essential matters — including procurement of medical supplies, emergency responses and disaster interventions — could suffer delays due to stalled file processing.

The development has also sparked speculation that the suspension is linked to intense political engagements by the governor, especially around his widely anticipated defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).