Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has denied striking any deal with President Bola Tinubu or the Presidency prior to January 12 Supreme Court judgment on Kano election petition, which restored his mandate.
There have been reports among members of the public, especially the opposition party, that, a deal was struck with the governor, which influenced his emergence as the winner of the Supreme Court judgement.
It was also believed that the recent visit of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, was a symbolic move to cement the agreement between the APC and the governor.
Similarly, there was a widely circulated document making rounds in the social media insinuating that the purported agreement reached between the two parties include the governor’s defection to the APC.
But reacting on Monday, Governor Yusuf, in a statement issued and signed by his spokesman, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, described the “document as an imaginary piece, devoid of all iota of truth.”
The statement said, “For the purposes of emphasis, the rather fake agreement saying Governor Yusuf has accepted to cross carpet to the ruling APC, jettison purported claim to dissolve or allow the five emirates, discontinuing demolition of illegal structures and establishment of Kano Elders Council should be disregarded.
“The governor would like to make it abundantly clear, that having secured his mandate through popular votes of the good people of Kano, and certified by a fair affirmation of Supreme Court judgment, he would not be intimidated by any political opportunist.
“I wish to categorically state that Governor Yusuf did not enter any agreement or condition with anybody before the Supreme Court Judgment. I therefore urge the public to dismiss the fallacy being orchestrated by enemies of progress.
“Let me also remind those political jobbers hiding under the leniency of Mr. President that whatever political decision or direction that would be taken in Kano will be determined within the confines of the rule of law and executive powers vested in the office of the Executive Governor.
“We debunk the rumour and state that no amount of blackmail will distract His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf from delivering his laudable projects and programmes for the good people of Kano State.”
He added that the establishment of the Kano Elders Council was a personal initiative of the governor, aimed at finding lasting solutions to all problems affecting the state’s socio-economic and political development.
“The governor had several opportunities to meet the president in all of his visits, and the discussions were centred around the development of Kano State,” he stressed.