The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered his monitoring unit to produce Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, at the force headquarters over alleged criminal defamation as a result of Ganduje’s suspension.

You may recall that in 2024, the APC exco of Ganduje’s ward suspended the party’s National Chairman over what they described as anti-party activities and lack of payment of the party dues.

This decision was alleged to be masterminded by the governor’s spokesperson, who happened to be from the same locality. In a letter dated May 23, 2025, with file no. CR/3000/IGP-SEC/MU/ADM/14/ABJ/VOL 118/57, addressed to the Secretary to the State Government, Kano State, the IGP asked Dawakin-Tofa to appear before one SP Mojirode B. Obisiji on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

According to the invitation letter signed by the Head, IGP Monitoring Unit, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Akin Fakorede, addressed to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), “the police is investigating a case of Criminal Defamation of Characters, Intentional Insult, Impersonation and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace, reported to the IGP in which the above mentioned appointee attached to the office of the governor of Kano state, as Chief Press Secretary, featured prominently.

“In view of the above, you are requested to release the said Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa to report for an interview with the undersigned, through SP Mojirode B. Obisiji, on Thursday, May 29, 2025, by noon at the first floor, Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, to shed more light on the allegation raised.”

Recalled that the IGP, in December 2024, issued a similar order with the deployment of operatives of the IGP’s monitoring unit to arrest the governor’s spokesperson and produce him to the force intelligence headquarters, in Abuja.

It was gathered that the police are intensifying the arrest of Dawakin-Tofa for alleged involvement in the suspension of the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, by the Ganduje’s ward Exco in 2024.

The controversy erupted after Ganduje alleged a conspiracy, spearheaded by Dawakin-Tofa, who hails from the same local council as Ganduje, and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)-led Kano State Government, where the APC chairman alleged that Dawakin-Tofa was behind his suspension, a move he described as an attempt to cripple his political influence.