The Kano State Government has suspended a political aide, Ibrahim Rabi’u, over the unauthorised release of a controversial statement falsely attributed to Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), regarding his alleged rejection of overtures from President Bola Tinubu to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The suspension, which took immediate effect on Saturday, May 17, 2025, was announced in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, and made public by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
According to the statement, Rabi’u, who serves as a Senior Special Reporter (SSR) attached to the Ministry of Transportation, was suspended for his “unguarded utterances” and has been issued a formal query to explain his actions.
The government categorically distanced itself from the viral article, describing the content as inflammatory and unauthorised.
The state government further warned all political appointees to desist from making public statements on sensitive political matters without proper clearance.
“The government cautions all political appointees against unauthorised comments, especially outside their jurisdiction,” the statement read.
It directed henceforth that, “Any official statement must be cleared through the appropriate channels,” stressing “Only the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Wayya, is authorised to speak for the government, while the Director General, Media and Publicity, Sanusi Bature, speaks for the Governor.”
LEADERSHIP reports that the development followed a viral article which alleged that Senator Kwankwaso had rejected a move by President Tinubu to woo him back to the APC, with the senator purportedly stating that he would rather quit politics than return to the ruling party.
The false publication quickly gained traction on social media prompting swift reactions from both Kwankwaso and the Kano State Government.
In a separate press release, the suspended SSR, Ibrahim Rabi’u admitted to authoring and circulating the false article without the knowledge or consent of Senator Kwankwaso or his media team.
Rabi’u, in a lengthy and apologetic statement, accepted full responsibility for what he called a “personal miscalculation.”
“I acted alone, without any consultation with Senator Kwankwaso or his media team, and this press statement serves to formally distance him from my previous publication,” Rabi’u wrote. “It was a mistake borne out of a personal misjudgment and not an act of malice or political sabotage.”
He further retracted the statement in its entirety and appealed to media outlets to take it down, urging the public to rely only on verified sources when engaging with political commentary.
This incident comes amid heightened political tension and speculation over realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Senator Kwankwaso, had earlier issued a statement refuting the claims and warning the public against misinformation, stating that he had refrained from political commentary and would continue to do so.