By Ismail Auwal
Kano State Government has condemned in totality what it described as “reprehensible act of violence unleashed on the state by members of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) during the commissioning of campaign office of the party’s presidential candidate, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso in Sharada in the metropolis”.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and spokesperson for Gawauna/Garo Campaign Council, Malam Muhammad Garba stated that while the government is ensuring a level playing ground for electioneering campaign by all political parties, the NNPP started by attacking the unsuspecting public.
He said the programme which is supposed to be a peaceful gathering of the party, it members, however, brandished dangerous weapons and turned it to a launch pad to attack residents, allegedly leading to some deaths as well as snatching of mobile phones.
Garba added that the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is appalled that there seems to be a deliberate attempt by the NNPP to shatter the prevailing peaceful political atmosphere in the state.
The commissioner revealed that Governor Ganduje has tasked the state security agencies to be alive of its responsibilities by ensuring that all political rallies are peacful and deal with any person or group bent on creating chaos.
The statement warned that the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on any person or group bent on breaching the peace in the name of political campaign and reaffirmed his earlier call for issue based campaign.
Garba said while the restriction of the operation of tricyclists from 10 pm has reduced to the barest minimum perpetration of criminal activities, the government would not hesitate to introduce other measures to ensure that peace prevails.
He said Kano has been enjoying relative peace compared to other states in the federation and called on all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the state has peaceful campaigns, elections, and transition programmes.
