UPDATED: Kano Deputy Governor Resigns

By Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, has resigned from office.

THISDAY gathered that Abubakar resigned from his position on Sunday when he got information that 31 members of the state House of Assembly had signed his impeachment notice which will be tabled before the Assembly Monday.

Abubakar is a loyalist of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speculations were rife in Kano last Wednesday that the deputy governor, who is a professor in nutrition, had resigned. He however denied the rumour.

In the letter of resignation dated August 5, 2018 and signed by the deputy governor, Abubakar said he had wanted to remain in office until the end of their tenure, but chose to resign due to irreconcilable differences with the governor.

“Your Excellency, I would have desired to remain up to the end of our tenure in order to fulfill the aspirations and expectations of the good people of Kano State as expressed in their mandate given to our joint ticket in 2015, but with the current and persistent irreconcilable differences on matters relating to governance and government operations, personal opinions, and the concept of, and respect for, democratic ideals and values, it would be unfair to my conscience, to the good people of Kano State and to you as the head of the government to continue to remain in my position as the Deputy Governor of Kano State.

“Your Excellency would recall several instances I had to draw your attention to the need to understand and appreciate these differences in order to avoid drifting into the kind of unnecessary crisis we are facing today, but to no avail,” the letter read in part.

Abubakar had on July 30, petitioned the police and State Security Service, SSS, over threat to his life and plans by the state government to stage rally against him.

A loyalist of former Governor Kwankwaso, Abubakar had been at loggerheads with the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, for siding with Mr Kwankwaso in the political impasse in the state.