Kano threatens to sue presidency, Abati for fraud

Premium Times has reported that the Kano State government has threatened to prosecute the spokesperson to the Nigerian president, Reuben Abati, for advanced fee fraud, 419, and the Presidency, the agency he represents, over the use of the state’s project photographs to promote President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid.

Mr. Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, had, in a 10-part series of tweets on Sunday, used photographs of the 10-storey Northwestern University and students of the Kano State Institute of Informatics to illustrate key projects he claimed the President Jonathan administration executed in the six North-West states of Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.

The 10-storey building in Mr. Abati’s illustration was a long-standing project of the Kano State government, which was only completed and made a campus by the state’s current governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso. The Kano Informatics Institute was also established in 2011, by the current governor.

Using the hashtags #DidYouKnow? #TransformationintheNorthWest #ForwardNigeria#UpJonathan #UpNigeria, Mr. Abati deployed images and graphics to illustrate what he called the president’s transformation of the North-West zone.

Mr. Abati’s tweets angered the Kano state government. It accused Mr. Abati of lying, deception and plagiarism and demanded the deletion of the tweet and a public apology. The current Kano state governor, who is claiming credits for the brandished projects, is also a presidential aspirant and member of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.