Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has told the governor-elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, that he is still in charge.

The governor said this while reacting to a public warning earlier issued by Yusuf.

The governor-elect had asked people to stay off public buildings and to avoid constructing anything on government lands, schools and other public places.

But speaking through the commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, Ganduje asked Yusuf to desist from making official pronouncements in order to avoid confusion.

He said, “The action of the governor-elect amounts to jumping the gun by issuing directive on a matter affecting government laid down policy while the incumbent is yet to run his full term.”

Ganduje added that he remains the governor with executive powers until May 29 and reserves the right to carry out his functions in public interest, even on the eve of his exit.

“Until he subscribes to the oath of office as governor on May 29, he remains what he is, a governor-elect, and does not have the powers of the governor. All he can do is to reverse some of the actions taken by his predecessor when he assumes office, if there is a valid reason to do so. No governor-elect has the constitutional or legal powers to determine the direction of a state until he is sworn in,” the statement added.

He added that as governor, he wields enormous powers to allocate plots of land, emphasising that every government had undertaken such exercise, including the previous administration which the governor-elect served under.

He also stated that based on available records, the previous administration has made land allocation in some of the public places the governor-elect categorically mentioned which include the city wall, with allocation of land from Kofar Nassarawa to Kofar Mata; shops at the Kofar Mata Eid Prayer Ground facing the Orion Cinema and from Kofar Mata to ‘Yan yashi opposite the Eid Ground and from Kofar Kabuga to Kofar Famfo facing the old Campus of Bayero University.