Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has once again summoned the spokesperson to Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Mr. Sanusi Bature over allegations of criminal defamation tied to the 2024 suspension of All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje.
The IGP’s Monitoring Unit has requested that Bature appear at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 12:00 PM.
This was conveyed in an official letter dated May 23, 2025 (ref. CR/3000/IGP-SEC/MU/ADM/14/ABJ/VOL 118/57), addressed to the Secretary to the State Government of Kano State.
Signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Akin Fakorede, head of the IGP’s Monitoring Unit, the letter states that, the police are investigating a case involving alleged criminal defamation, intentional insult, impersonation, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. Bature is said to feature prominently in the case.
The controversy traces back to 2024 when the APC executive committee in Ganduje Ward suspended APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje over allegations of anti-party activities and failure to pay party dues.
Bature, a native of the same locality as Ganduje, was accused of masterminding the move, allegedly as part of a political vendetta.
This is not the first time the police have pursued the governor’s media aide.
In December 2024, the IGP also ordered his arrest, which was halted by a restraining order issued by the Kano State High Court.
The interim injunction, granted on December 12, 2024, barred the IGP, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies from arresting or harassing Mr. Bature.
The order extended to senior law enforcement officials including the AIG Zone 1, Commissioner of Police Kano, SP Mojirade Obisiji, DCP Akin Fakorede, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
It was aimed at protecting Dawakin-Tofa’s constitutional rights to liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement.
However, the Kano High Court later dismissed Nature’s case against the IGP and the APC’s acting national chairman. His legal counsel, Barrister H.M. Muhammad, has filed an appeal at the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal as of May 2025.
Political observers believed that, the rift between Bature and Ganduje stems from a long-standing feud dating back to 2015, when Ganduje, then governor-elect, reportedly ordered the arrest of Bature over his opposition activities. Many view the spokesperson’s current political stance as a personal retaliation.
Bature, a key figure in Ganduje’s hometown, was instrumental in the APC’s loss of a House of Representatives seat in 2023.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the rivalry between the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the APC in Kano has intensified, particularly in Ganduje’s local political base.
The ongoing power struggle also intersects with the Kano emirate dispute between the 14th and 15th Emirs, in which both Ganduje and Dawakin-Tofa are deeply involved.