By G9ija
On Wednesday night, Dr. Bappa Bichi, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in Kano State, held a news conference where he accused Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and the Department of State Security Service of colluding to undermine the upcoming governorship election in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the party stakeholders, Bappa Bichi accused the state Director of DSS in Kano, Mohammed Alhassan, of being the mastermind behind the purported scheme.
Bichi alleged that Alhassan, who should have retired from the service about 15 months ago, was unlawfully kept on the job to facilitate Governor Ganduje’s agenda, given their longstanding friendship.
He further claimed that Alhassan’s appointment as the DSS Director in Kano State in 2017 was at the behest of Governor Ganduje.
“We have written to Mr President. We have written to the DG of DSS. We have written to all heads of security agencies and service chiefs, drawing their attention to this anomaly. No officer is indispensable. The director has outlived his service year by over a year. His continuous stay in service is both illegal and immoral. He is being kept to undermine democracy.
“His relationship with Ganduje started way back in the early 90s when Ganduje was the sole administrator of Gwagwalada Area Council in the FCT and Alhassan was then in charge of SSS at the same local government.”
“We asked the question ‘why?’ Are there no qualified people who can be appointed as DSS Director in Kano state?”
Bichi further alleged that “a tactical team of the DSS, who is already in Kano for a dirty job, are being kept in hotels and safe houses within the state.” he added.
Bichi has urged President Buhari to intervene and request the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to permit Alhassan’s retirement, which should have occurred 15 months ago.
He stated that the party intends to hold a peaceful rally on Thursday to protest Alhassan’s continued tenure as the Director of DSS in Kano State.