Katsina APC Aspirant Alleges Detention Ordered by Governor to Prevent Primary Contest

In Katsina, the political arena is often a battleground where ambition clashes with alleged interference. The recent primary election for the Mani/Bindawa Federal Constituency has become a focal point of such contention, with former aspirant Ahmed Saleh leveling serious accusations against Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.

“

I got the shock of my life. DSS operatives came and accosted me to the state headquarters on the instructions of His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda that I should be arrested and detained and never allowed to go to Mani Local Government where the primary election was to take place.

Saleh claims his detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) was a calculated move orchestrated by the governor to sideline him and pave the way for the governor's favored candidate, Hajiya Jamila Abdu Mani. Saleh asserts that he was held throughout the primary election, preventing him from participating and leading to what he describes as a "broad daylight robbery" of his mandate.

However, the governor's camp, through his media aide Maiwada Dammallam, vehemently denies these claims. Dammallam argues that it is illogical for Saleh to accuse the governor of ordering his arrest, emphasizing that governors do not possess the constitutional authority to command security agencies like the DSS. While acknowledging the governor's role as chief security officer of the state, Dammallam stresses that this does not equate to control over the operational directives of agencies like the DSS.

“

I was arrested and detained by operatives of the DSS on the directive of Governor Radda to prevent him from participating in the exercise.

This incident highlights a recurring theme in Nigerian politics: the alleged use of state apparatus and influence to manage electoral outcomes. While the governor's office dismisses the allegations, the aspirant's claims resonate with a public accustomed to political maneuvering. The DSS, as the agency involved, remains the ultimate authority to clarify the circumstances of Saleh's detention, but the political narrative in Katsina is already deeply divided.

“

Governors are not constitutionally empowered to exercise authority over security agencies, the DSS in this regard. It defies logic therefore for the aggrieved aspirant to accuse His Excellency, Governor Radda of his purported arrest or detention by the DSS.