On Wednesday, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf said hoodlums, who invaded the state High Court during the nationwide protest against bad governance, stole some documents on Mr Ganduje's corruption trial.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has said the claim that some hoodlums carted away documents on his corruption trial is "baseless" and "comical".
Mr Ganduje said this in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf said hoodlums who invaded the State High Court during the nationwide protest against bad governance stole some documents in the corruption trial of his predecessor, Mr Ganduje.
Mr Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, son, Umar Abdullahi, and five others are facing eight-count charges before the state high court for alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds during his (Ganduje) eight-year tenure as governor of the state.
The court where they are being tried was among the properties vandalised and looted by hoodlums during the recent #EndBadGovernance protest.
Responding to Governor Yusuf's claim, Mr Ganduje said the invasion of the court was a clear indication that the state, under Mr Yusuf's leadership, lacks the competence to handle legal and security matters.
"Furthermore, we find the allegations that protesters looted and absconded with 'sensitive documents' relating to the ongoing witch-hunting under the guise of the corruption trial of former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as baseless and comical.
"The insinuation that such critical documents could be carted away during a protest is not only far-fetched but also a clear indication of the state's growing incompetence in handling both security and legal matters," the statement said.
Mr Ganduje mocked the state government for the claim and described it as a propaganda attempt.
"It is laughable that governance has been reduced to a huge joke in Kano state that the state government will condescend low to suggesting that demonstrators broke into a court and carefully selected documents relating to the trial of the APC National Chairman, handpicked them and take them away in this digital age, no discerning mind will buy into this pedestrian propaganda.
"What happened to the documents with the government lawyers? The state government is bereft of ideas on how to run the affairs of the state and has always resorted to churning out myriads of corruption allegations against the former governor of the state Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his family who served the state diligently," the statement said.
Distortion of facts
The APC chairman said the issue of his file being carted away was an attempt to distort facts about the sponsors of the violent protest in the state.
"This claim is nothing more than a desperate attempt by Governor Yusuf's administration to divert attention from their culpability in the violence that erupted in the state."
He said Governor Yusuf publicly supported the protest to incite the people against the APC and President Bola Tinubu.
According to the statement, "It is a known fact that the day before the beginning of the protest, Governor Yusuf was grandstanding and telling people that he would join them if they wished to protest, but unfortunately for him, the people hired by the state government to execute the protest against the APC government went haywire against their initial plan.
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"After leading them on, it's now clear to all that his government funded the violent protest that occurred in Kano. Governor Yusuf should understand that the words and actions of leaders carry weight and have dire consequences".
Probe
Mr Ganduje called on relevant security agencies to probe Mr Yusuf's involvement in the protest.
"We demand that the federal government, through relevant security agencies, immediately launches a thorough investigation into the Kano State Government's involvement in this unfortunate incident.
"The sponsors of this violence must be brought to justice to ensure that this does not set a dangerous precedent for other states."
