The Presidency has distanced President Muhammadu Buhari from the bribery scandal that has rocked the tenure of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.
The governor has been in the news over the past couple of weeks after the publisher of Daily Nigerian, Ja’afar Ja’afar, alleged that he regularly received bribes from contractors handling projects in the state.
However, while speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, the media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina said the President has no business interfering in the matter in its current state.
Adesina said the President will take a back seat while the Kano State House of Assembly will investigate the allegations.
The media aide also hinted that federal anti-graft agencies might be investigating the governor.
He said, “At times in Nigeria, it pays us to ask for true federalism. And then, at some other times, it pays us to ask the federal government to also interfere in state matters in a way that is not in consonance with true federalism.
“That is the Kano State matter and it is being investigated by the Kano State House of Assembly. It’s not unlikely that some anti-graft agencies are also investigating.
“What then concerns the president at this point. Why must the president dabble into it at this point. Wouldn’t it be contrary to the kind of federalism some people had always asked for?
“I’m sure at some point, SERAP must have asked for true federalism in this country. So, is it in consonance with true federalism if the president dabbles into that Kano matter at this point?
“Let’s wait for investigation to run its course and then see if the federal government, through the anti-graft agencies, will be involved or not.”