Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Resigns, Reason Emerges

• Saidu Yahaya submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday after mounting pressure from the Kano State Government over his performance
• Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had publicly warned the PCACC chairman to step up the fight against corruption or step aside
• The governor appointed Barrister Hafsat Ada'u Kutama as acting chairperson of the PCACC to replace Yahaya

Saidu Yahaya, the chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), has stepped down from his position, submitting his resignation letter on Tuesday amid pressure from the Kano State Government over his handling of the role.

Although no formal announcement had been made at the time of this report, the state government moved swiftly to fill the vacancy. Ibrahim Adam, Special Adviser to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on Social Media, disclosed the development on his verified Facebook page, announcing that the governor had appointed Barrister Hafsat Ada'u Kutama as the new acting chairperson of the commission.

"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. Until her appointment, Barr. Hafsat served as the Secretary of the Commission," Adam wrote.

Kutama was expected to take up the role from Wednesday.

Governor Yusuf's public warning to PCACC

According to Dailytrust, Yahaya had only been in the position since August 2025, when he replaced former chairman Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado after his tenure ended. The Kano State House of Assembly had approved Yahaya for a five-year term.

His exit follows a public rebuke from Governor Yusuf, who had challenged the PCACC leadership to do more in fighting corruption. The governor made those remarks during a ceremony to flag off the distribution of 150 truckloads of subsidised fertiliser to farmers across the state's 44 local government areas. He warned that anyone not willing to carry out the responsibility should "step aside."

According to a statement by the Director General of Media and Publicity at Government House, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the governor also said he had invited both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to monitor the fertiliser distribution exercise, citing the need for transparency and to prevent diversion of the commodities.

Yusuf added that he hoped the PCACC would recover its relevance and become more visible in holding public officials accountable.

Yahaya had not confirmed the resignation independently as of the time this report was filed.

Anti-graft agency seizes vehicles

Legit.ng earlier reported that tension heightened in Kano on February 26, after the Kano state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission recovered official vehicles from several former commissioners who recently resigned from the state executive council.