The political temperature in Kano has continued to rise as the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the spokesperson to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, to report to the Force Headquarters in Abuja over his alleged role in the controversial suspension of APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In a letter dated May 23, 2025, the police chief directed the Kano State Government to release Dawakin-Tofa for questioning, noting that the embattled media aide is under investigation for criminal defamation, impersonation, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The invitation, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Akin Fakorede, specifically asked Dawakin-Tofa to appear before SP Mojirode B. Obisiji at the Force Headquarters on May 29.
Naijaonpoint understands that this is not the first time Dawakin-Tofa has been invited by security agencies over the matter. In December 2024, he was similarly ordered to appear before the police, sparking a legal tussle between the Kano State Government and the Nigerian Police.
The political feud between Ganduje and Dawakin-Tofa is long-standing. It dates back to 2015, when Ganduje, then Governor-elect, reportedly ordered the arrest of Dawakin-Tofa over political disagreements.
The rift deepened in 2024 when Ganduje was controversially suspended by his ward executives in Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area. Though the APC national leadership later disowned the suspension, Ganduje’s camp accused Dawakin-Tofa of masterminding the move to weaken the former governor’s political grip on the state.
In response to the 2024 arrest order, Dawakin-Tofa secured a court injunction barring the police, DSS, and Civil Defence from arresting or harassing him.
Despite the injunction, the latest move by the police signals a renewed determination to prosecute the case. His legal team is already appealing a ruling by a Kano High Court that dismissed his suit seeking protection from arrest.
“We are confident that the Court of Appeal will do justice and grant the reliefs our client is entitled to,” a member of his legal team told Sunday Punch.
As the political drama unfolds, analysts say the mounting tension is a reflection of the 2027 power struggle in Kano, a key battleground in northern Nigeria’s politics.