The ruling New Nigeria People’s Party in Kano State at the weekend received 1,000 defectors from the All Progressives Congress.
This is according to the spokesperson for the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shuaibu.
Shuaibu, in a statement on Sunday, said the 1,000 APC defectors were received into the NNPP on Saturday by the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The development comes as the APC in Kano State battles a crisis. Last week, the Ganduje in the Ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government, Kano State announced the suspension of the APC National Chairman and former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje.
Ganduje is failing bribery charges filed against him by the NNPP-led state government.
According to the statement on Sunday, the Kano deputy governor, while receiving the APC defectors at the Government House in Kano, also directed the caretaker chairmen of the 44 local government areas in the state to ensure that they are on the ground in their domain and not operate from outside.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Kano APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, were unsuccessful as he neither picked up his calls nor responded to a text message.
The deputy governor, who doubles as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said the LG caretaker chairmen must reside in their respective councils so they would be in close touch with their people.
Gwarzo warned that the state government would not tolerate absentee leadership, stressing that it was important for the caretaker chairmen to reside among the people they represent.
While warning that disobedience would attract consequences, the deputy governor disclosed that he would be embarking on surprise visits to various LGs to assess the dedication of caretaker chairmen to their assigned duties.
He also called on the LG leaders to initiate impactful projects in crucial sectors, such as health care, education, and access to potable water.
The deputy governor reassured the public of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s commitment to implementing human-oriented programmes that would be beneficial to everyone in Kano State.