Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has asked the Nigerian security apparatus to, as a matter of urgency commences the full-scale interrogation of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, over the sudden disappearance of a critic Abubakar Isa Dadiyyata.
Ganduje, who firmly rejected the allegations by El-Rufai, linking him to the disappearance of Dadiyata some years ago, said that the Nigeria security should do the needful by investigating El-Rufai, who seems to know something about the issues.
In a measured but unequivocal response contained in a statement signed by former Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs in Kano State, Comrade Muhammad Garba, the former APC national chairman described the allegation as reckless, unfounded and a clear attempt to shift responsibility for an incident that occurred entirely within Kaduna State.
He emphasised that Dadiyata lived and operated in Kaduna, where he was widely known for directing his criticisms at the Kaduna State government.
According to him, there is no credible record suggesting that the activist’s primary focus was the Kano State government or Dr Ganduje.
“Everyone in Kaduna knew the nature of the criticism he made and who it was directed at,” he stated, noting that responsibility for security in Kaduna at the time rested with the state government and the relevant federal security agencies operating there.
The statement called for scrutiny of El-Rufai’s recent remarks, stressing that such serious allegations must be supported by verifiable evidence rather than political rhetoric.
Dragging Ganduje into the matter without proof, Garba said, not only politicises a painful and unresolved episode but also risks further confusing the public over an already sensitive case.
Contrasting the political climates of both states during the period in question, Garba maintained that Ganduje’s two-term administration in Kano was marked by tolerance for criticism, open media engagement and acceptance of opposition voices.
“Unlike many political leaders who maintained strained relationships with the media, we allowed scrutiny, accommodated critical voices and even learned from dissenting perspectives,” he said.
The former Commissioner added that there was no record of arrests, intimidation or harassment of journalists or critics in Kano during Ganduje’s tenure.
He further observed that public discourse surrounding Dadiyata’s disappearance has, over the years, centred largely on events within Kaduna State and noted further that Senator Shehu Sani had openly remarked that many individuals within the state were reluctant to speak publicly about the case, while commentator Reno Omokri previously raised allegations questioning how the matter was handled at the time.
