Partisan Politics vs. Leadership: The Kano Conundrum

Kano State, long regarded as the political heartbeat of Northern Nigeria, is now confronting a growing security crisis that demands clarity, courage, and unity from its leaders. Instead, the state has been drawn into a troubling mix of political vendetta and governance inertia, leaving millions of residents trapped between rising fear and an expanding leadership vacuum.

In recent weeks, reports of rising bandit incursions, gang activity, and neighbourhood unrest should have prompted a coordinated, bipartisan response. Instead, Kano’s political elite have turned the insecurity into yet another arena for their long-running supremacy battle. What ought to have been a sober moment for collective action has rapidly deteriorated into accusations, counter-accusations, and political grandstanding.

Kano’s political divisions are no secret, but the current climate has magnified them to unprecedented levels. Analysts say leaders on both sides ,ruling and opposition seem more focused on settling old political scores than confronting the growing threats endangering the lives of ordinary citizens.

It is against this tense backdrop that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf recently accused former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of attempting to sponsor and empower a parallel security or vigilante outfit in Kano, an allegation he described as a grave threat to public order. Yusuf argued that such a move could undermine formal security structures and worsen the already fragile situation in rural communities. Ganduje, through his media aides, swiftly rejected the claim as false, reckless, and politically motivated, insisting he has never sponsored violence and accusing the current administration of using him as a scapegoat for its own security failures. The exchange has further intensified political tensions in the state, heightening public anxiety at a time when leaders should be united against insecurity.

A Kano-based lawyer, Hadiza Nasir Ahmad, has expressed concern over what she describes as rising insecurity across parts of Kano State, urging Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to take urgent and decisive action before the situation worsens. Ahmad, in comments shared on her official social media and cited by LEADERSHIP Weekend, noted that recent attacks in Biresawa and Tsundu in Tsanyawa local government area, along with recurring incidents in Shanono, raise serious questions about the state government’s handling of security.

She alleged that bandits often strike at night, typically between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., abducting women, rustling livestock, and terrorising communities. She added that in some instances, villagers alerted authorities ahead of the attacks but received no response.

“The state government remains silent; state-owned media offers no guidance; and the Chief Security Officer of the state, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has shown no visible leadership,” she said.

Ahmad, however, commended security agencies operating in the affected areas, saying, “The police and military are doing their best, but they are fighting a war without a general.”

She urged the governor to intensify collaboration with federal security agencies and strengthen community-level structures to boost intelligence and early response.

“Security is not a political game. It is a matter of life and death, and the current administration is failing its most fundamental duty,” she added.

Ahmad contrasted the current situation with what she described as the “relative calm” under former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, pointing to coordinated security operations, the clearing of Falgore Forest, and the deployment of CCTV cameras across the metropolis.

She noted that her recent visits to Falgore and Riruwai revealed that residents still remember Ganduje’s security interventions.

Ahmad urged Governor Yusuf to consult his predecessor, emphasizing that a security blueprint already exists, but its success depends on political will.

“Silence and inaction are a recipe for disaster, fostering a generation of desperate, unemployed youth who may turn to crime,” she said.

She called for measures including empowering community watch groups and consistent public communication on safety.

“Kano is more than a state; it is the heartbeat of Northern Nigeria. If Kano collapses, the entire region suffers,” she said.

“The time for urgent, united and decisive action is now. Kano is bleeding. The responsibility to stop it rests squarely on Governor Yusuf’s shoulders,” she added.

Kano, long regarded as northern Nigeria’s most stable and commercially vibrant state, is confronting an unexpected and unsettling reality.

A wave of bandit attacks sweeping through rural communities in Tsanyawa, Shanono, Bagwai and Gwarzo has prompted concern not only among residents but also among security analysts and political observers who fear that the state’s once-secure reputation is being tested.

What makes the situation more complex, however, is the growing perception that politics is creeping into the discourse around insecurity, raising questions about whether solutions are being pursued with the urgency the crisis demands.

The recent on-the-spot visit by Governor Abba Yusuf to affected communities has reignited this conversation, drawing praise from some residents and caution from experts who worry about strategy, vulnerability and political interpretation.

Public affairs analyst and political scientist Kabiru Sufi who also spoke to LEADERSHIP weekend believes that much of the political conversation currently swirling around Kano’s security issues is misplaced.

According to him, tensions between the current and previous administrations stemmed from disagreements over the management of Hisbah volunteer groups—a matter he describes as purely political and unrelated to the bandit attacks. He contends that the dissolution of the volunteer corps, along with former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s claims of establishing a parallel Hisbah structure, generated friction. However, he stresses that this friction should not be conflated with the insecurity plaguing northern Kano. In his view, the issue of insecurity is being unnecessarily politicized, even though the incidents themselves bear no direct connection to these political disputes.

Sufi maintains that the resurgence of attacks in northern Kano is driven more by geography and regional security dynamics than by governance failures or political maneuvering. He points out that many of the affected local governments border Katsina State, where recent peace deals and military operations have displaced criminal groups.

Once displaced, these groups seek new territories,” he explained, noting that the spillover into Kano is therefore predictable. For Sufi, neither the past nor the current leadership can be held directly responsible for the insecurity.

Rather, he believes both sides must come together, put aside political rivalry, and develop a unified strategy to protect communities along the border corridors.

The political scientist warns that the threat is expanding, with bandits now encroaching beyond previously affected border communities.

He argues that only synergy between political leaders, security agencies and local communities can stem the advance.

He stressed that early warning signs, such as sightings of unfamiliar individuals on motorcycles, were ignored due to weak intelligence-gathering systems, recommending an improved early warning mechanism, stronger intelligence dissemination and a state-level security conference involving stakeholders from affected areas.

He warns that unless political leaders stop exploiting the situation rhetorically and instead focus on coordinated action, the crisis could become entrenched.

To security consultant Dr. Yahuza Getso, the situation in Kano is not a small, isolated security breach but part of a sprawling criminal network extending from Enugu through Benue, Kaduna and Plateau into parts of Zamfara and Katsina. He argues that the attacks in Kano mirror the patterns seen in the northwest, shootings, kidnappings, cattle rustling and sporadic raids, all of which thrive in states with weak coordination or political distraction.

Getso  in an  interview with our correspondent  further criticised the state’s political class, saying Kano’s leaders appear more interested in political statements than practical measures. “Kano residents do not want rallies or exchanges between politicians,” he said. “They want action.”

He also strongly criticised Governor Yusuf’s recent visit to bandit-hit communities, describing it as a security misstep because it exposed both the governor and the communities he visited. According to him, he was alarmed by the publicly circulated videos showing the convoy leaving Government House and driving through vulnerable areas. Such publicity, he warned, provides intelligence to criminal groups and increases the risk of ambush for both officials and civilians.

He also faulted the governor’s decision to publicly disclose certain sensitive security details during the visit, describing some of the statements as breaches that should not have been shared in an open community setting.

Beyond criticism, Getso highlights the need for deeper collaboration between Kano and Katsina, the state he believes is most central to the evolving threat.

He advocates for joint border surveillance, intelligence sharing, community empowerment and coordinated action by both formal security agencies and local vigilante structures.

He notes that Katsina has already implemented models that train and empower communities to defend themselves, models he believes Kano urgently needs to adopt.

According to him, the recent spread of attacks shows that criminals are testing the boundaries of rural Kano, and without decisive measures, the state could drift into the insecurity that crippled its neighbours.

The security expert concludes by warning that Kano’s position as northern Nigeria’s commercial hub is at risk. “No investor will be comfortable if Kano becomes another Zamfara,” he said, recalling how Boko Haram activities in 2016 and 2017 disrupted trade and affected the city’s economic rhythm.

He lists continuity, stability and peaceful business environments as essential ingredients of commerce, ingredients he believes could erode quickly if insecurity takes a deeper root.

For him, Kano’s leaders must move beyond political disagreements, establish joint task forces with neighbouring states and embrace measurable, strategic operations instead of public pronouncements.

For Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, however, his visit to the affected communities was a necessary step to reassure frightened residents and boost the morale of security personnel on the ground.

Touring Tsanyawa and Shanono in the company of heads of security agencies, the governor described the recent wave of attacks as “alien to Kano” and vowed to restore peace.

He met with grieving families, including that of 70-year-old Hajiya Zahara’u Mohammed, who was killed during one of the raids.

To the residents, the governor promised the establishment of permanent security outposts, the use of drones for surveillance, the training of community guards and the swift rescue of abducted victims.

Governor Yusuf also told villagers that preliminary investigations indicated that over 95 percent of the attackers were from neighbouring Katsina State, reinforcing analysts’ claims about cross-border infiltration.

He pledged that the state government would work with federal authorities to secure the region, disclosing that he had already briefed President Bola Tinubu and secured commitments for additional intervention teams.

The governor assured troops in the Joint Task Force units that his administration would improve their logistics and welfare, acknowledging their sacrifices in the face of recent fatal encounters with bandits.

During the visit, Yusuf urged community members to support security forces by providing timely intelligence and maintaining vigilance. He also announced plans to improve infrastructure, social amenities and local participation in community policing as long-term stabilisation measures.

For him, the path to securing Kano lies in what he described as collective responsibility, where the government, security agencies and citizens work together to keep criminal elements out of the state.

While his critics argue that aspects of his approach expose operational weaknesses, his supporters see the visit as a sign of leadership readiness and personal commitment.

As Kano navigates this critical moment, the tension between political perception, expert warning and government response remains palpable.

Analysts like Sufi and Getso cautioned  that unless politics is separated from security and genuine collaboration begins, the state may struggle to contain the expanding threat.

Yet, the governor’s actions demonstrate political leadership committed to confronting the crisis head-on, even if the strategy invites scrutiny. What remains clear is that Kano, once a refuge of relative safety in the northwest, now stands at a crossroads, and its response in the coming weeks could determine whether it restores its legacy of stability or becomes the next frontline in Nigeria’s widening insecurity landscape

Amid these challenges, observers emphasise that addressing insecurity requires collaboration, foresight, and unity rather than politicisation. They believe that a collective commitment to dialogue, community engagement, and regional cooperation will be essential to restore safety and ensure lasting peace.