Singer Market Inferno: Fed govt, APC govs donate N8bn to Kano traders
…Shettima announces N5bn intervention, says Tinubu has reserved Yusuf’s place in APC “second to none” …Barau, Abbas, Uzodimma, Yilwatda, Ganduje hail defection as Yusuf pledges loyalty to President The Federal
…Shettima announces N5bn intervention, says Tinubu has reserved Yusuf’s place in APC “second to none”
…Barau, Abbas, Uzodimma, Yilwatda, Ganduje hail defection as Yusuf pledges loyalty to President
The Federal Government has approved N5 billion as intervention fund for traders affected by the fire outbreak that razed large sections of Kano’s popular Singer Market, as governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) added N3 billion in donations, bringing total relief support to N8 billion.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the intervention on Monday when he led a Federal Government delegation to Kano to condole with victims of the inferno on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima, who prayed for God to prevent a recurrence of fire disasters at the market, said the Federal Government would work with the Kano State Government to ensure recovery efforts were swift and effective.
On the same day, the Vice President formally received Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State and his supporters into the APC fold on behalf of President Tinubu, describing the move as a major boost to the party’s resolve to build an inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.
Speaking at a grand reception at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, Shettima said President Tinubu had made it clear that Yusuf’s place in the APC was “second to none.”
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“Your Excellency, we are proud to welcome you aboard the All Progressives Congress train,” Shettima said.
“We welcome you with open hands and open hearts. His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made it abundantly clear that your place in this party is second to none and that your presence strengthens our collective resolve to build a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.”
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The Vice President described Kano as “an eloquent expression of Nigeria’s cosmopolitan soul,” noting that the state welcomes every Nigerian and turns diversity into destiny.
He said Kano’s contributions to Nigeria go far beyond elections, stressing that the state has remained a heartbeat of enterprise and trade, while also producing scholars and political leaders whose influence transcends geography.
“In commerce, Kano has been the heartbeat of enterprise and trade. In scholarship, it has produced minds that interrogate power and redefine ideas,” Shettima said.
Recalling Kano’s role in shaping Nigeria’s political philosophy and moral imagination, the Vice President cited the late Alhaji Maitama Sule and Alhaji Aminu Kano as towering figures produced by the state.
Welcoming Yusuf to the APC, Shettima described him as “another visionary son of Kano,” saying the governor and his supporters were embarking on a political journey that speaks to the future of Nigeria.
“Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf may be a man of few words, but his principles speak loudly… in the language of conviction… discipline… service… anchored in consistency and guided by purpose,” he said.
The Vice President also sympathised with Yusuf over the Singer Market fire, assuring that the Federal Government would collaborate with the state to extend support to affected traders.
The N3 billion donation from APC governors was made under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, said Yusuf’s defection had brought Kano into the mainstream of Nigerian politics, predicting that the state would benefit more from the government at the centre.
“What this means is that Kano will begin to benefit more from the national government. We will have more infrastructure and healthcare delivery as well as all other facets of development,” Barau said.
“When you complete your eight years, Kano will become an eldorado.”
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Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, described Yusuf’s entry into the APC as strategic for the party, calling Kano the powerhouse of Nigeria’s democracy.
“Kano is the powerhouse of our democracy, and today, Allah has made it possible for the governor to move,” Abbas said.
“This will be the beginning of the coming of so many good things to Kano. The future of Kano will be brighter under him.”
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said Yusuf had made the right move, assuring that Kano would reap the benefits of joining the governing party.
He praised the infrastructural development under Yusuf and pledged the party’s support to enable him to do more for the state.
Yilwatda handed the symbolic APC flag to the governor, alongside some federal legislators who also defected to the party.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, described Yusuf as an “original breed” of the APC who “only went on sabbatical and has returned home.”
Uzodimma urged party supporters and local government chairmen in Kano to work hard to secure victory for the APC, adding that President Tinubu was happy with the political development.
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In his remarks, Yusuf thanked the Vice President and the APC leadership for the grand reception, describing his official entry into the party as a defining moment for Kano State.
“The reason for politics should always be to serve the people,” Yusuf said.
He explained that he joined the APC to deliver results for Kano people, stressing that his decisions as governor had been guided by the need to improve their welfare.
Yusuf said he left the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) because it lacked the cohesion and stability required for the development of the state.
“Kano is too large and too important to be disconnected from the government at the centre,” he said, pledging loyalty and support to President Tinubu.
Former APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, said Yusuf’s defection had increased the numerical strength of the APC in Kano and consolidated the party’s position in the state.
“This move of the governor is a compound of party followers that will continue to think, act, plan and move together to ensure an all round development of Kano State,” Ganduje said.
The Vice President’s delegation to Kano included Speaker Abbas and Deputy Senate President Barau, among other top party and government officials.
