Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has cautioned the state governor-elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf to desist from causing needless confusion in Kano State, The Guardian reports.
Ganduje reminded Yusuf that he remains the chief executive officer of the state.
The governor was reacting to a directive issued from the office of the governor-elect, warning individuals, groups, and organisations undertaking construction on public places to keep off, urging Yusuf to wait until May 29th when he is sworn in as Kano governor.
Kano commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba on Friday said the action of the governor-elect amounts to jumping the gun.
He said by issuing a directive on a matter affecting government laid down policy while the incumbent is yet to run his full term is not necessary.
The commissioner noted that Ganduje wielded enormous powers to allocate plots and therefore every government has undertaken such exercise including the previous administration which the governor-elect had served.
Garba stated that as far as the division of power is concerned as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ganduje remains the governor with executive powers until May 29 and reserves the right to carry out his functions in the public interest even on the eve of his exit.
“All he can do is to reverse some of the actions taken by his predecessor when he assumes office if there is a valid reason to do so,” Garba said.
“No governor-elect has the constitutional or legal powers to determine the direction of a state until he is sworn in.”
“Based on available records, the previous administration has made land allocation in some of the public places the governor-elect categorically mentioned which include the city wall, with allocation of land from Kofar Nassarawa to Kofar Mata; shops at the Kofar Mata Eid Prayer Ground facing the Orion Cinema and from Kofar Mata to ‘Yan yashi opposite the Eid Ground and from Kofar Kabuga to Kofar Famfo facing the old Campus of Bayero University.”
Garba explained that the advisory issued by the governor-elect has generated a lot of tension in the state and advised him to desist from such in order to avoid confusion.
He also called on individuals and organisations who acquired land after following due process and procedures not to be threatened by the directive.
