Group Dismisses Claims Emir Of Katsina Rebuked APC Campaign Council DG

Gabi Hibbatullah, Abuja

A group, Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI), has dismissed reports claiming that the Emir of Katsina publicly rebuked the director-general of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, during a recent visit to the emir’s palace.

The organisation described the account, attributed to Comrade Ibrahim Muhammad Sani, as unverified and misleading, challenging its author to provide evidence to substantiate the claims or retract them.

In a press statement signed by its deputy national chairman, Hon. Musa Adam, DWI said Yari led a delegation of political leaders on visits to the palaces of the emirs of Gwandu, Katsina, Daura and Zaria, where the traditional rulers received the visitors and offered prayers for peace, unity and the success of Nigeria’s democratic process.

According to the organisation, Yari explained that the purpose of the visits was to seek the prayers, blessings and counsel of the traditional rulers. DWI described the engagements as respectful consultations with traditional institutions, consistent with established practices in Nigerian public life.

The organisation faulted the article alleging that the Emir of Katsina delivered “four bitter truths” to the APC delegation, arguing that the report relied on an unnamed source and provided no recording, named witness or other verifiable evidence to support the alleged remarks.

It urged the media and the public to exercise caution when considering anonymously sourced claims attributed to traditional rulers.

On allegations of disunity within the APC in Katsina State, DWI said the composition of the delegation contradicted suggestions that the party was divided.

It noted that the delegation included two former governors of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari and Ibrahim Shema. The organisation also pointed to the participation of Governor Dikko Radda, who reportedly accompanied Yari to the Emir of Daura to seek the emirate’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

According to DWI, these engagements demonstrated cooperation among political leaders rather than the internal divisions alleged in the report. The organisation also rejected claims that the Federal Government had done nothing to address insecurity in Katsina State.

It said the Federal Government was working with the Katsina State Government to tackle banditry, adding that Tinubu had approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for the state. The guards, according to the statement, are expected to receive training and equipment to work alongside the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS) and local vigilantes, particularly in forested and remote areas used as hideouts by criminal gangs.

DWI further cited Governor Radda’s commendation of the Federal Government for increasing the deployment of military personnel, police officers and DSS operatives to the state.

While acknowledging that more work remained to be done, the organisation described insecurity as a shared national challenge requiring collective action.

On economic concerns raised in the disputed article, DWI accused its author of presenting selective information. It cited National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures showing that inflation eased to 14.63 per cent in September from 15.39 per cent in August. The organisation also referenced the government’s announcement of a 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) retail stations, with commercial transport operators given priority.

DWI maintained that the APC campaign council’s consultations with traditional rulers were intended to build consensus and obtain advice ahead of the campaign season.

It argued that political consultations did not replace governance, adding that both activities could proceed simultaneously.

The organisation urged the media to avoid amplifying what it described as unverified allegations about traditional rulers, accusing those spreading false information of attempting to undermine public confidence in the democratic process.