By Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi, Reporting for Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The State Secretary of Ondo State PChaoter of African Democratic Congress, Ambassador Kunle Adeloye has strongly condemned the reported actions of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in distributing lands and cash to APC polling unit canvassers and political aides.
Adeloye who expressed his displeasure over this act stressed that it constitutes a clear and brazen attempt to bribe and corruptly influence them in exchange for votes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He declared that the act is not only morally reprehensible but also a direct assault on the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process, stressing that as a public officer entrusted with the management of state resources, Governor Yusuf has a sacred duty to uphold transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
Adeloye said that deploying state assets such as lands and cash specifically to woo party agents and canvassers for partisan electoral gains amounts to an abuse of office and a gross misuse of public resources belonging to the people of Kano State. “This is not governance; it is vote-buying disguised as “motivation” or “empowerment,” and it undermines the principle of free and fair elections” he noted.
According to him, this action is explicitly against the letters of the Electoral Act, adding that the Electoral Act 2022(as amended) section 121 on Bribery and Conspiracy prohibits any person from directly or indirectly making any gift, loan, offer, promise, or agreement to induce another person to procure votes or support at an election. “It equally criminalizes the receipt of such inducements” he said
His words: “Related provisions in the Act further criminalize vote trading and undue influence, with strengthened penalties in updates emphasizing fines of not less than N5 million, imprisonment of up to two years, and disqualification from holding public office for up to 10 years in cases of vote buying.
“Furthermore, these acts contravene key provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). They violate the principles of accountability in the management of public funds and property under Sections 121 (state appropriation and expenditure) and the broader fiduciary duties of Governors. Such misuse amounts to gross misconduct under Section 188, which provides grounds for removal from office.
“It also breaches the Oath of Office, which requires public officials to discharge their duties in the interest of the public without fear, favour, or corruption, and runs contrary to anti-corruption provisions that view the abuse of position for personal or partisan advantage as a grave offence”
Adeloye who noted that Governor Yusuf’s actions set a dangerous precedent that erodes public trust in leadership and transforms democracy into a transactional enterprise called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), anti-corruption agencies (EFCC and ICPC), security agencies, and the Kano State House of Assembly to thoroughly investigate this matter without delay, recover any misapplied public assets where appropriate, and ensure full accountability in line with the law.
He noted that the people of Kano State and indeed all Nigerians deserve leaders who serve with integrity, not those who commodify votes with state resources.
For him, th ADC remains committed to promoting ethical leadership, good governance, and electoral reforms that will entrench true democracy in our land.