The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano has alleged that its main opponent in Saturday’s election is not the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but the Department of State Services (DSS).
The party alleged that the Service was working in cohort with the ruling party to subvert the will of the people but it would not allow this to prevail.
Speaking on behalf of the party, Baffa Bichi, a senatorial candidate of the party, said NNPP supporters would embark on a peaceful march across the city to protest against what they termed an “illegal retaining of the Kano State Director of the DSS”, whom he alleged was due for retirement 15 months ago.
He said the protest became the last resort of the party because it has intelligence that the DSS boss was kept in office to assist the ruling APC in the forthcoming elections.
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The party also alleged that some tactical teams of the DSS have been deployed from Abuja and were being kept in hotels and safe houses to help perpetrate the plans.
The party said it will carryout peaceful protest today the DG DSS asks the State Director to immediately proceed on retirement.
He further alleged that it was Governor Abdullahi Ganduje that requested in 2017 for Muhammad to be posted to Kano State and the governor was also the one that requested for the DSS boss to be kept beyond his retirement, which he said begged for explanation.
Bichi said all the senator-elect, House of Representatives member-elect and all candidates of the NNPP in the state will lead the protest on Thursday except the President prevailed on the DG of DSS to take action to compel the Kano DSS director to immediately proceed on retirement.
Earlier on Thursday, the DSS had announce the arrest of two NNPP supporters who incited violence ahead of Saturday’s elections.
DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, who disclosed this Thursday morning, explained that the duo of Sharu Abubakar Tabula and Isma’il Iliyasu Mangu, were tracked down after the suspects had separately recorded inciting messages, which they shared through various social media channels.
Afunanya, who also shared the inciting video with Daily Trust, called on the concerned party to shelve it forthwith or be ready to face the consequences.
There has been an unhealthy relationship between the NNPP and DSS since the wife of Yusuf Bichi, the Director-General of the service, clashed with Abba Kabir Yusuf, NNPP gubernatorial candidate, in the buildup to the general elections.
Trouble started after the motorcade of Yusuf allegedly delayed Mrs. Bichi’s convoy from gaining access into the VIP lounge of Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
This, it was gathered, prompted her security details to step into the situation to clear the path, which in the process led to an altercation between the security details and aides of the gubernatorial candidate.
Shortly before the presidential poll, an office of the party was raided in Kano. While the party accused the secret police of vendetta, DSS displayed some weapons recovered during the raid on the NNPP camapaign office.
There is tension in Kano ahead of Saturday’s elections.
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