This is certainly not the best of times for the Kano State Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, due to the new political atmosphere in the state.
Consequently, following the defection of Governor Abba Yusuf alongside many members of his cabinet, Assembly members and Federal lawmakers from the state to the All Progressives Congress from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Deputy Governor Gwarzo has been asked to resign from office.
Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, made the call on Thursday.
Waiya asked the embattled deputy governor to resign his position if he can no longer align politically with his principal, Governor Yusuf.
The Commissioner made the call on Gwarzo during a live programme with Muhasa Radio while responding to questions on the deputy governor’s reported decision to remain loyal to the Kwankwasiyya political movement led by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, despite the governor’s recent political realignment.
According to the commissioner, political divergence at the highest level of government can undermine trust and effective governance, especially given the deputy governor’s role as Commissioner for Higher Education.
“What we are hoping for, just as we saw with some commissioners who felt uncomfortable and resigned, is that the deputy governor should also take an honourable step if he is no longer on the same political path with the governor,” Waiya said.
He said governance requires cohesion and shared ideology, warning that mistrust could arise if a senior official remained in government while pursuing a different political direction.
“If you sit in an Executive Council meeting where people are discussing how to build Kano and there is suspicion about where such discussions may end up, then there is a problem. Governance is about trust,” he added.
The Commissioner suggested that political ambition could be influencing the deputy governor’s position, noting that Kano politics remains highly competitive.
“Many people have aspirations, including to become governor. There is nothing wrong with ambition, but if interests begin to conflict with the direction of government, the most honourable option is to step aside and pursue those goals independently,” he said.
Waiya stressed that the decision ultimately rests with the deputy governor, acknowledging that remaining in office is a personal choice.
“It is his decision. If he believes he can continue to work with the governor under the present circumstances, then that is fine. But if I were in that position, I would have left and faced my political journey clearly,” he stated.
The commissioner stressed that the administration remains focused on what he described as the “Kano First” agenda, insisting that loyalty to the state’s development objectives must come before personal or factional interests.
