Kano anti-graft chair quits, acting successor emerges

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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.

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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“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.

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

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

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

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

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