Kano govt says ex-governor paid thugs to disrupt Saturday election

Kano State government has accused the former governor of the state, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of plotting to to disrupt next Saturday’s state House of Assembly by-election in Minjibir.
Kwankwaso and his supporters are planning to unleash violence during the rescheduled election, the Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba, said in a statement.

The by-election was re-scheduled for Saturday, August 6, after the attempt to conduct the poll in April abruptly ended due to violence.
The statement said: “Information at our disposal suggested that Kwankwaso has hired thugs from neighbouring Niger Republic, Katsina and Jigawa states to unleash mayhem on electorate, with the aim of scuttling the entire process for his selfish reasons.

“We want to state that as a responsible government, we will not sit down and fold our hands for some disgruntled elements to cause chaos in the state. We have informed the security agencies of this nefarious plan, and we will support them to protect lives and properties of law-abiding citizens.”
The Commissioner assured the the people of Minjibir Local Government of safety during the election and urged to be law-abiding.

Kwankwaso, however, swiftly denied the allegations, describing it as a “cheap blackmail.”
“If they have a nightmare, it is Kwankwaso; if they anticipate failure, it is Kwankwaso, and you continue to wonder why they are so scared of their shadows,” former governor said.
He advised his successor, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to focus on governance and stop being delusional.