Prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Albasu Local Government Area of Kano State have petitioned Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the party’s State Working Committee, calling for disciplinary action against the local government chairman, Hon. Garba Aliyu Hungu, and the member representing Albasu Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Musa Tahir Hungu, over alleged anti-party activities.
The petitioners accused the two political office holders of fraternising with Alhaji Kasim Ibrahim Bataiya, the New Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Kano South, and allegedly working against the interests of the APC and its senatorial candidate, Senator Kawu Sumaila.
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The petition, reportedly signed by more than 300 party officials and leaders across wards and local government areas, called on the governor and the APC leadership in Kano to investigate the allegations and determine whether the two officials’ actions violated the party’s constitution.
According to the petitioners, the relationship between the two office holders and Bataiya dates back to their previous political affiliation. They alleged that the NDC candidate had plahelpedo officials secure their respective political tickets before they emerged under the APC.
They claimed that the relationship had continued despite the differences in their current party affiliations, raising concerns among APC stakeholders about the loyalty of the two officials to the party.
The petitioners further alleged that some elected councillors, political appointees and local government party officials had continued to participate in activities organised by the NDC senatorial candidate, with some allegedly attending his campaign rallies and encouraging support for his candidacy.
One of the major allegations in the petition was that the Albasu Local Government Chairman provided the local government town hall to Bataiya for political meetings and the launch of his senatorial campaign.
The petitioners also accused the chairman and the state lawmaker of frustrating efforts by party elders to investigate the alleged involvement of some APC councillors and executive committee members in the opposition candidate’s campaign activities.
They said a fact-finding committee had been established by the political leadership of Albasu Local Government, under Dr Yunusa Adamu Dangwani, to examine the allegations. However, the petitioners alleged that the two officeholders denied the committee the opportunity to carry out its assignment.
The stakeholders further accused the local government leadership of failing to organise meetings with members of the APC legacy group despite what they described as clear directives from the governor and the party leadership.
According to the petition, a meeting was held once through the intervention of the member representing Albasu, Gaya and Ajingi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, but subsequent attempts to convene further meetings allegedly failed because of the local government chairman’s lack of commitment.
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On the distribution of government empowerment programmes, the petitioners alleged that benefits intended for party members and supporters had frequently been diverted to individuals they described as loyalists of the NDC senatorial candidate.
They expressed concern that genuine APC members in Albasu had been marginalised in the distribution of such benefits, calling for greater accountability in the implementation of state government programmes at the grassroots.
The petitioners also cited the mobilisation of party members for the presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna as another example of what they described as inadequate support for the APC.
They alleged that while other local governments provided 30 buses or more to transport party members to the event, the Albasu chairman provided only 17 buses.
Another issue raised in the petition concerned the continued participation of the current Amirul Hajj in NDC activities. The petitioners alleged that the individual had retired from public service about two years ago but had yet to be replaced by the local government leadership.
The stakeholders argued that the allegations, if established, could undermine party discipline, unity and the APC’s electoral prospects in Albasu and the wider Kano South Senatorial District.
They therefore called on Governor Yusuf, as the APC leader in Kano State, and the party’s State Working Committee to examine the relevant provisions of Article 21 of the APC constitution and determine whether the alleged activities of Garba Aliyu Hungu and Musa Tahir Hungu constitute anti-party conduct punishable under the party’s rules.
They also urged the party leadership to invite the two officials to respond to the allegations before taking any disciplinary action, stressing the need for a fair and impartial investigation based on verifiable evidence.
The petitioners maintained that their action was motivated by the need to protect the interests of the APC, promote accountability and strengthen party cohesion at the grassroots.
They said the petition was not intended to malign any individual or prejudge the outcome of an investigation, but to draw the attention of the party leadership to issues they considered serious enough to warrant urgent intervention.
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The petition was signed by Hon. Adamu Abdu Fanda, Caucus Chairman; Hon. Wada Ibrahim Daho, Caucus Secretary; former member of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Sunusi Usman Bataiya; Isyaka Danyaya, Albasu APC Deputy Chairman; and several other local government and ward party officials.
All efforts to contact Hon. Garba Aliyu Hungu and Hon. Musa Tahir Hungu for their response to the allegations proved abortive.