The League of Civil Society Organisations (LCSO) in Kano State has condemned the reported allocation of 1,540 plots of land and N100 million to grassroots leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a misuse of public resources amid widespread poverty in the state.
In a statement endorsed by 23 civil society groups on Saturday, the coalition argued that the decision came at a time when millions of Kano residents were facing economic hardship. Citing the National Bureau of Statistics’ Multidimensional Poverty Index, the group said Kano has a 66.3 per cent multidimensional poverty rate, with about 10.51 million people experiencing deprivation.
The coalition alleged that the distribution of public land and funds amounted to political patronage rather than governance.
“This is not merely a policy decision; it is a brazen appropriation of the public’s collective heritage. By converting state-owned land into a tool for partisan mobilisation, the current administration has demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the fiduciary duty it owes to the people of Kano,” the statement said.
The group further claimed that the action could violate provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and the Land Use Act. It argued that using public assets to reward party loyalists could amount to abuse of power and electoral inducement.
According to the coalition, “The use of state resources to bolster the machinery of one political party is an egregious misuse of public resources that belong to the people of Kano, not to a private political caucus.”
The LCSO also expressed concern that the development could undermine democratic competition, alleging that it gives the ruling party an unfair political advantage while excluding other citizens from access to public resources.
The coalition called for the immediate suspension of the land allocation and cash distribution pending an independent review. It also urged the Kano State House of Assembly to investigate the source of the N100m and the criteria used in selecting beneficiaries.
In addition, the group asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to examine whether the exercise contravened the Electoral Act and demanded that the state government publish the full list of beneficiaries.
“Democracy in Kano must be built on the bedrock of transparency, merit, and equality. We call on all stakeholders, including the judiciary, the press, and the good people of Kano, to join us in resisting this slide into institutionalised cronyism,” the statement added.
The statement was jointly endorsed by 23 civil society organisations, including the Wuro Development Concerns, Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement, Campaign for Democracy (Kano State), Centre for Legal Orientation and Humanitarian Aid, and the Joint Action Front.
