The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed the Monitoring Unit of the Nigeria Police Force to produce Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, at the Force Headquarters over an allegation of criminal defamation related to the suspension of APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In 2024, the executive committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ganduje Ward suspended Ganduje from the party, citing alleged anti-party activities and failure to pay party dues.
The suspension was allegedly orchestrated by Sanusi Bature, who is from the same local government area as Ganduje.
In a letter dated 23rd May 2025, with file number CR/3000/IGP-SEC/MU/ADM/14/ABJ/VOL 118/57, and addressed to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Kano State, the IGP requested the release of Dawakin-Tofa to appear before SP Mojirode B. Obisiji on Thursday, 29th May 2025.
According to the letter signed by the head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Akin Fakorede, and addressed to the SSG:
“The police is investigating a case of Criminal Defamation of Characters, Intentional Insult, Impersonation and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace, reported to the IGP in which the above mentioned appointee attached to the office of the Executive Governor of Kano state as Chief Press Secretary featured prominently.
In view of the above, you are requested to release the said Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa to report for an interview with the undersigned, through SP. Mojirode B. Obisiji on Thursday 29th May, 2025 by 1200hrs at the first floor Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, to shed more light on the allegation raised.”
It will be recalled that in December 2024, the IGP gave a similar directive, deploying operatives from the Monitoring Unit to arrest the Governor’s spokesperson and bring him to the Force Intelligence Headquarters in Abuja.
Police efforts to arrest Dawakin-Tofa have reportedly intensified following his alleged role in the suspension of Ganduje by the Ganduje Ward APC executives.
The issue sparked controversy after Ganduje accused Dawakin-Tofa and the Kano State Government, led by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), of orchestrating his suspension as part of a broader plot to weaken his political base.
The rivalry between Ganduje and Dawakin-Tofa dates back to 2015, when Ganduje, then governor-elect, reportedly ordered the arrest of Dawakin-Tofa for his opposition activities during that year’s gubernatorial election.
Following this, a High Court granted a restraining order on 12th December 2024, prohibiting the IGP, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies from arresting or harassing Dawakin-Tofa.
The interim injunction extended protection to him from “harassment, detention, and intimidation” by the named agencies. It also covered other officials, including the AIG Zone 1, Commissioner of Police Kano, SP Mojirade Obisiji, DCP Akin Fakorede, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
According to suit number K/M2500/2024, the court order bars any action that may infringe on Dawakin-Tofa’s rights to liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement. It also directed that all relevant legal documents be served on the respondents—including the APC and senior police officers—through special bailiffs.
However, the Kano State High Court later dismissed Dawakin-Tofa’s suit against the APC Acting National Chairman and the IGP. His lawyer, Barrister H.M. Muhammad, has since appealed the ruling at the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal in May 2025.
Sanusi Bature has remained a vocal critic of Ganduje since 2015. He was seen as instrumental in the defeat of Ganduje’s son, Abba Ganduje, in the 2023 House of Representatives election.
Many observers view the long-standing feud as personal.
“Dawakin-Tofa was the first victim of Ganduje because in 2015, the police arrested him on the orders of Ganduje, a position that made him a stiff opposition figure.”
As Kano prepares for the 2027 elections, the political contest between the NNPP and APC appears increasingly rooted in local rivalries in Ganduje’s hometown. It also overlaps with the ongoing conflict surrounding the Kano Emirate between the 14th and 15th Emirs—another area where both Ganduje and Dawakin-Tofa remain politically active and at odds.