Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has sacked his media adviser, Salihu Tanko-Yakasai, a day after criticising President Muhammadu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said Mr Tanko-Yakassai was relieved of his appointment for “unguarded comments and utterances”.
The state commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, confirmed the governor’s directive to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, saying his “sack is with immediate effect”.
Mr Garba said the aide had failed to differentiate between personal opinion and official stand on matters of public concern and therefore could not be allowed to continue to serve in a government he does not believe in.
“The governor also warned political appointees and public servants to guard against making statements capable of drawing superfluous controversy. The statement reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Ganduje to the policies and programmes of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,” the commissioner said.
Mr Yakasai is currently being detained at the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters in Abuja after his arrest in Kano, Friday evening.
His arrest came hours after calling on President Buhari to check Nigeria’s worsening insecurity or resign.
“Clearly, we as APC government, at all levels, have failed Nigerians in the number 1 duty we were elected to do which is to secure lives & properties. Not a single day goes by without some sort of insecurity in this land. This is a shame! Deal with terrorists decisively or resign,” Mr Yakasai wrote in a tweet, reacting to the abduction of schoolgirls in Zamfara State.
My Tanko-Yakassai was last year suspended for two weeks for expressing solidarity with the #EndSARS protest across Nigeria against police brutality.
