2019 Elections: Group accuses Kano CP of partisanship, demands removal

A Kano based Non Governmental Organization, under the auspices of Centre for Awareness on Justice and Accountability (CAJA), has accused the Kano state Commissioner of Police, CP. Rabi’u Yusuf of compromising neutrality and demands his immediate redeployment from the state for security reasons. The group made the call on Thursday in Kano during a press conference with news men at their head office, Nasarawa GRA. According to the Executive Director, Kabiru Saidu Dakata, the group, after careful observation of recent events in the political circle of the state, the group is troubled over what he described “unequal treatment given to different political parties by the commissioner of police in the state”. He said the call became pertinent in view of privileges enjoyed by the ruling party (APC) in the state, which the police fold their arms and watch the party and its supporters brandish dangerous weapons despite the band by the command. To buttress their point, Dakata cited an APC rally at Kwanar Dandora on the 30th of January 2018, where Governor Ganduje, the Chief Whip of the Federal House of Representatives, Ado Doguwa, some state government officials and hundreds of APC’s followers were seeing holding dangerous weapons at a rally ahead of the state local government election which held in February 2018, the trend which he said, is still ongoing at their rallies. Furthermore, he cited cases of hate and inflammable speeches the rally by the chief whip declaring that they would attack supporters of Rabiu Kwankwaso at any moment, and the recent remarks by the Kano state Chairman of the APC saying they will win the forthcoming elections by all means in his words; “ KO DA TSIYA KO DA TSIYA-TSIYA. In the same vein, that the unfortunate killing during the welcoming of political rally for PDP gubernatorial Candidate in Kano in October 2018, during which a 70 year old man was allegedly murdered at Ahmadu Bello Way round about got the police’ attention, hence Malam Takai the the PDP gubernatorial candidate was invited, while the recent killings at APC rally in Bichi and Rano Local Government Area got no reaction from the police. He appealed to the Acting inspector General of Police to as a matter of urgency, call the Kano State Commissioner of police to order or transfer him to another state so that a neutral Officer who is ready to provide a level playing ground for all the political parties and candidates will be brought to the state, this alone, he opined will guarantee neutrality during the 2019 general elections and beyond.