Kano anti-graft chair quits, acting successor emerges

The Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Saidu Yahaya, has resigned his appointment, with Governor Abba Yusuf appointing the commission’s Legal Secretary, Hafsat Ada’u Kutama, as acting chairperson.

Yahaya submitted his resignation letter to the Secretary to the State Government on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, according to a reliable source at the Cabinet Office who spoke to The PUNCH on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

“The PCACC chairman, Sa’idu Yahaya, resigned his appointment yesterday (Tuesday) and has submitted the resignation letter to the SSG,” the source said.

The resignation came amid mounting pressure from the Kano State Government over Yahaya’s alleged failure to meet expectations.

The governor had recently publicly criticised Yahaya over what he described as non-performance as head of the anti-graft agency.

Meanwhile, the governor has appointed Kutama as the acting chairperson of the commission.

The governor’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Ibrahim Adam, announced the appointment on his verified social media handle on Wednesday.

“His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has appointed Barr Hafsat Ada’u Kutama as the acting chairperson of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), Kano State,” Adam said.

He added that Kutama had served as the secretary of the commission before she was appointed acting chairperson.

Yahaya was appointed chairman of the PCACC in August 2025, following the expiration of the tenure of the former chairman, Muhuyi Rimin Gado.

His appointment was subsequently approved by the Kano State House of Assembly for a five-year tenure.

Efforts to contact Yahaya were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off.