Why Kano dep gov should resign — Commissioner

The Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, has called on Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo to resign, citing his refusal to defect alongside Governor Abba Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking to journalists in Kano on Thursday, Waiya said harmony within the executive arm of government depends on shared political vision, trust and loyalty, which he argued had been undermined by the deputy governor’s decision to remain outside the governor’s new political camp.

According to the commissioner, it would be improper for a deputy governor who no longer aligns politically with the governor to continue attending sensitive government meetings or participating in key decision-making processes.

He warned that such a situation could compromise confidentiality within the administration, stressing that governance relies heavily on mutual confidence among top officials.

“This is his personal choice, but it is difficult to justify someone who is no longer politically aligned with the governor sitting in routine executive council meetings,” Waiya said, adding that trust is fundamental to effective governance.

The commissioner described resignation as the most dignified course of action available to the deputy governor under the circumstances.

“If I were in his position, I would respectfully resign,” he said.

Waiya’s comments come against the backdrop of major political shifts in Kano State following Governor Yusuf’s recent defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the APC.

He defended the governor’s move, describing it as a strategic decision aimed at strengthening ties with the Federal Government and improving the state’s access to federal projects and interventions.

Governor Yusuf, who emerged victorious in the 2023 governorship election on the NNPP platform, announced his switch to the ruling APC, citing the need for closer cooperation with the Federal Government to drive development in Kano State.

The governor was formally welcomed into the APC at a ceremony in Kano, alongside several prominent political figures who also defected with him.

These included members of the Kano State House of Assembly, federal legislators, local government chairmen and councillors, a development that significantly weakened the NNPP’s political presence in the state.