The Kano State Government has read the riot act that it will deal with an association tagged as All Progressive Congress (APC) Patriotic Volunteers if they were involved in acts capable of threatening the peace of the state.
It will be recalled that the APC group resolved at the weekend to form a “shadow government” “due to the failure of the (Abba) Yusuf administration to put Kano in the right direction”.
According to the group, the National President, Usman Alhaji said the group is planning to assign its members to all the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to monitor their activities and make “constructive criticisms” that would prompt the government to do the needful”.
But the Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya in a statement signed and made available to the press, declared the group illegal.
He said: “In a democratic system like ours, forming a government within a government is entirely illegal and unconstitutional.”
Comrade Waiya said “The recent statement credited to the National Chairman of the APC Patriotic Volunteers, Usman Alhaji, announcing the group’s intention to form a shadow government in Kano State, is not only a desperate and politically motivated scheme but also a dangerous move with serious social and legal implications for the entire state and Nigeria’s democratic system.
Let me remind these elements within the Kano APC that in a democratic system like ours, forming a government within a government is entirely illegal and unconstitutional.
He, however, stated that “A shadow government, as practised in the United Kingdom, exists within a parliamentary system where opposition parties appoint “shadow ministers” to scrutinize the ruling government.’
Adding that however, Nigeria operates a presidential system, which neither recognizes nor supports such a structure outside the institutional framework of the law.
Democracy does not permit anyone to lose their sense of judgment simply because they have lost relevance within their party’s political structure.
Therefore, the right to freedom of expression does not grant anyone the liberty to make reckless statements or take actions that undermine constitutional governance and the sovereignty of an elected government.
Contemplating the formation of a shadow government is further proof of the APC’s continued plot to destabilize Kano State and create chaos. Such actions will not be tolerated by the Kano State Government.
The government stands ready to take decisive action against any individual or group involved in acts capable of disturbing the relative peace in the state, regardless of their social status or perceived political influence, in accordance with the laws of Kano State and Nigeria.
It is on record that the APC, as a party in Kano State, has lost its political relevance and influence. This latest move by some self-deceiving elements only confirms the APC’s desperation to remain relevant after its overwhelming rejection at the polls.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration was duly elected by the good people of Kano State and has, within a short period, recorded remarkable achievements in developmental projects and policies aimed at improving the lives of the people.
The NNPP-led government in Kano State, under the visionary leadership of Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf, remains the most focused state government in the country, with clearly defined goals in key sectors. In education.
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