Former Kano State Governor and ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has firmly dismissed allegations by former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai connecting him to the disappearance of activist Abubakar Idris, known as Dadiyata.
In a statement issued by Comrade Muhammad Garba, former Commissioner for Information in Kano, the allegations were characterized as “reckless, unfounded, and a clear attempt to shift responsibility for an incident that occurred in Kaduna State.” The statement emphasized that Dadiyata “lived and operated in Kaduna, where his criticisms were directed, and security responsibility at the time rested with the Kaduna State government and federal agencies.”
Garba questioned why any alleged confession implicating Kano was never formally presented to security authorities. “Serious accusations must be backed by verifiable evidence — not political rhetoric,” he stated. He described linking the former Kano governor to events outside the state as both misleading and politically motivated, calling instead for lawful and transparent investigations. “The attention should remain on due process and justice for Dadiyata’s family, rather than politicising a painful and unresolved matter,” Garba added.
The controversy stems from El-Rufai’s Friday interview on Arise News Prime Time, where he alleged that Ganduje was responsible for Dadiyata’s abduction. “He (Dadiyata) is a critic of the Kano government, it was Ganduje that was his problem, go and check his timeline, I don’t even know him,” El-Rufai said during the interview.
El-Rufai claimed that Kaduna authorities only learned of Dadiyata after his family reported the abduction to police, stating, “We only got a report of Dadiyata’s existence after his family reported to the police that he was abducted.”
Dadiyata was abducted on August 2, 2019, from his Kaduna residence by unidentified gunmen. His whereabouts remain unknown more than seven years later. The case attracted significant attention from civil society organizations and the public, prompting police investigations. However, no conclusive findings have been released, and no group has claimed responsibility.
Garba’s statement reflects growing tension between the former governors over accountability for the sensitive incident. He warned that public discourse must be grounded in facts and evidence. “Accountability must be based on facts and due process, not speculation,” Garba reiterated, urging political leaders to exercise restraint in public statements on unresolved cases.
Ganduje’s rejection of the allegations comes amid ongoing calls for clarity and transparency from Kaduna State authorities and federal security agencies regarding Dadiyata’s disappearance.
