A political controversy is unfolding in Kaduna State following the reported arrest of activist Zamani Musa, popularly known as Mycah Dangata, over comments urging voters to reject candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters that Dangata was taken into custody after publicly campaigning against the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, while encouraging residents to support opposition candidates in future elections.
According to the sources, the activist attracted attention after a video circulated online in which he openly endorsed the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Senator Danjuma Laah. In the video, Dangata also advocated a political power shift to Southern Kaduna.
A source alleged that the arrest was carried out by Operation Fushin Kaduna, a state-backed security initiative established in collaboration with the Kaduna State Police Command and other security agencies to tackle banditry, kidnapping and related crimes.
The source further suggested that Dangata may have angered government officials through comments perceived as critical of Governor Uba Sani. In particular, he reportedly compared the governor unfavourably with former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Dangata criticised what he described as the governor’s approach to political leadership and candidate selection. He argued that the APC leadership was imposing candidates on communities rather than allowing grassroots participation.
“Everyone who truly cares about Kaduna State should come together so that we can combine our strength and work against the APC from top to bottom,” he said in Hausa.
The activist went further to call for voters to reject APC candidates at all levels, including President Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani. He also praised El-Rufai’s leadership style, claiming the former governor gave communities more influence in determining their political representatives.
“If you look at the structure of Kaduna State, whether you like him or not, by God, you will admit that Malam Nasir El-Rufai cared more about the people than Governor Uba Sani,” Dangata said.
He accused the current administration of interfering in local political processes, describing the practice as contrary to democratic principles.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Government and security agencies had not issued an official statement regarding the reported arrest or the allegations surrounding the incident.
The development comes amid increasing political activities and alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition groups and ruling party supporters already positioning themselves for future contests.
