Ganduje suspends aide for criticising Buhari over #ENDSARS

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has suspended his media aide, Salihu Tanko Yakasai for criticising President Muhammadu Buhari over the nationwide #ENDSARS campaign.

Yakasai had earlier on Sunday, October 11, 2020, described the Buhari-led administration as a government with zero empathy for the people.

Since last week, Nigerian youths have been on the streets, calling on the government to scrap the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a police unit that’s infamous for human rights abuse.

Despite the nationwide demonstrations against the police unit, President Muhammadu Buhari did not address the protesting youths.

Disappointed by the president’s attitude towards the issue, the spokesperson to the Kano State Government took to Twitter to blast the president for not saying anything to address the #ENDSARS protest.

He said it’s heartbreaking that the president failed to address the youths, whose votes he begged for to become their leader.

He tweeted, “I’ve never seen a govt with zero empathy like that of @MBuhari. So many times when his people are going through a difficult time & expect some sort of tap on shoulder to reassure them that he is in charge, but he failed to do so. The ‘i don’t care attitude ‘ is on another level.

“To speak to ur own ppl over issues that are bedevilling them has become something like a favour u’re doing to them. Over & over again, u cannot spare 5mins & address the nation to calm them down, the same people u went to the 36 states to beg for their votes, it's heartbreaking”.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State. [Daily Trust] Pulse Nigeria

However, hours after he bore his mind on the matter, his principal suspended him for attacking the president.

A check on his Twitter page also showed that the media aide has deleted the part of the tweets in which he said the ‘I don’t care attitude’ of the president is on another level.

Ganduje has a history of sacking aides who attack Buhari or his cronies.

In April, the governor sacked the state’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Muaz Magaji for speaking ill of the late Abba Kyari, the former Chief of Staff to the president.

The former Chief of Staff died in Lagos on Friday, April 17, 2020, after testing positive to COVID-19.

Hours after his death, Magaji took to his Facebook page to mourn the deceased and also passed some comments many Nigerians on the social media platform found offensive.

Following the Facebook post, the Government of Kano State announced his sack on Twitter adding that the commissioner was sacked due to his 'unguarded utterances' against the person of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.