Drama Unfolds As Police Boss Orders Arrest Threat Against Kano Gov’s Aide In Ganduje Saga

The political climate in Kano continues to intensify as the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has summoned Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, spokesperson to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The invitation relates to his alleged involvement in the controversial suspension of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

In a letter dated May 23, 2025, the IGP instructed the Kano State Government to release Dawakin-Tofa for questioning. He is reportedly under investigation for criminal defamation, impersonation, and conduct likely to provoke a breach of public peace.

The invitation, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, mandates that Dawakin-Tofa appear before Superintendent Mojirode B. Obisiji at the Force Headquarters on May 29.

This is not the first time the media aide has been summoned by law enforcement over this matter. In December 2024, he faced a similar police invitation, which triggered a legal standoff between the Kano State Government and the Nigerian Police.

The friction between Ganduje and Dawakin-Tofa dates back to 2015, when Ganduje—then governor-elect—allegedly ordered his arrest amid political differences.

The dispute escalated in 2024 following Ganduje’s controversial suspension by his ward executives in Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area. Although APC’s national leadership later nullified the action, Ganduje’s allies blamed Dawakin-Tofa for orchestrating the move in an attempt to diminish the former governor’s influence in Kano.

Following an arrest order in 2024, Dawakin-Tofa obtained a court injunction restraining the police, DSS, and Civil Defence from detaining or harassing him. Despite this, the latest police summons suggests a renewed push to pursue the case.

His legal team is currently appealing a Kano High Court ruling that dismissed his bid for legal protection. “We believe the Court of Appeal will deliver justice and uphold our client’s rights,” one of his lawyers told Sunday Punch.

Political analysts view the escalating drama as an early indicator of the fierce struggle for power expected in Kano ahead of the 2027 elections—cementing the state’s role as a critical flashpoint in northern Nigeria’s political landscape.