Former Kano state governor and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has denied granting any interview in which he allegedly accused the Kano State Government of mismanaging public funds through payments made to former councillors.
Ganduje, in a statement issued and signed by his Chief of Staff, Comrade Muhammad Garba and made available to newsmen, described the report as false, misleading, and completely unfounded.
The former governor questioned the authenticity of the publication, stressing that it failed to provide any verifiable details about the alleged interview, including the venue, date, time, media platform, journalist involved, or the basis upon which the claims were attributed to him.
According to the statement, there was no occasion where Ganduje made such remarks, adding that the report was a deliberate attempt to misrepresent his position and create unnecessary political tension.
The statement noted that as an elder statesman with access to both the federal and state levels of government, Ganduje understands the appropriate channels for offering advice and expressing his views on governance issues.
“Given his status as an elder statesman who has access to government officials at both the national and state levels, it will be unbecoming of Dr. Ganduje to invite the media to publicly express his views on how governments are being run,” the statement said.
Ganduje maintained that when necessary, he has the opportunity and responsibility to offer constructive advice through the appropriate channels rather than through unverified public statements.
The statement further revealed that efforts were already ongoing to trace the origin of the misleading report, with a view to taking appropriate legal action against those responsible.
“The source of this misleading publication is currently being traced and necessary legal steps will be taken once those behind it are identified,” it added.
Ganduje urged members of the public to disregard the report and advised media organisations and individuals to always verify information before publication, particularly when dealing with sensitive issues involving public figures.
He reaffirmed his commitment to peace, accountability and responsible political engagement, while calling for adherence to professional standards in public communications