Aminu Kano

==== The 1981 Kano riot ====
On 7 July 1981, Governor Rimi issued a letter to the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, accusing him of deliberate disrespect toward the [[Kano State Government]]. The letter demanded a response within 48 hours to justify why disciplinary action should not be taken. The letter was described by the ''[[West Africa (magazine)|West Africa magazine]]'' as "most disrespectful...suitable for admonishing a clerk, but...most unsuitable for addressing a [venerated] traditional and religious leader". Other conservative religious and intellectual figures also condemned the letter, along with a spokesperson from the ''Taɓo'' faction. The NPN promptly capitalized on the situation, urging "people of goodwill" to "defend their traditional institutions".<ref name=":34" />

Violence erupted on 10 July 1981, in Kano, resulting in the burning of several government buildings, including the State Government Secretariat, Radio Kano, and the [[Kano State House of Assembly|State House of Assembly]]. The headquarters of the Santsi faction and the residences of key officials in Rimi's government were also targeted. Dr. Bala Mohammed, Rimi's chief political adviser and a leading intellectual in the party, was killed in the fire. The ''West Africa magazine'' estimated the total damage from the riots at ₦100 million in its 20 July 1981 issue. The leaders of the ''Santsi'' faction accused the NPN and Aminu of orchestrating the riots to "preserve their political power".<ref name=":34" />