All members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) seeking election into executive offices in Kano State will be subjected to a mandatory drug test, authorities have said.
The Commissioner for Information in Kano, Muhammad Garba, disclosed this in a statement on Monday ahead of the party’s state congress scheduled for October 16.
He advised all aspirants to visit the office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano from Tuesday by 7am.
Garba, who explained that the decision was part of the government’s policy to rid Kano of illicit substances, warned that no contestant would be screened without undergoing the mandatory drug test.
He stated that similar tests were carried out for contestants in local government elections, as well as political appointees, including members of the state executive council before offering them portfolios.
The commissioner revealed that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had already informed the state office of NDLEA for the conduct of the tests.
He warned that the government would not hesitate to issue necessary disciplinary measures against anyone found with a trace of illicit substance, including a compulsory recommendation for rehabilitation.
Garba said during the conduct of similar tests on contestants for the local government election, at least 13 councillorship candidates were disqualified and replaced based on reports by the NDLEA after they tested positive for drugs.
According to him, the present administration has been passionate about fighting illicit drug trafficking and abuse and has instituted programmes aimed at curtailing drug abuse in the state.
The commissioner said the measure included setting up and streamlining activities of the state’s Task Force Committee on Illicit Drugs, which has intercepted and destroyed drugs worth billions of naira.
