By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) has told former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, not to delude himself into believing that the New Nigeria Peoples Party(NNPP) could replicate its 2023 performance which was largely due to “manipulated votes,” in the state come 2027.
The APC advised Kwankwaso to focus on reclaiming his membership in the New Nigeria Peoples Party, instead of “daydreaming” about turning the National ruling party to a spent force in 2027.
The APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, said this in a statement issued, Thursday. Kwankwaso, who has reportedly been ousted by the NNPP, has pledged to significantly reduce the APC’s votes in the state during the 2027 elections.
But Abbas in his statement described Kwankwaso’s assertion as “laughable”
The Kano APC Chairman branded Kwankwaso a “political refugee,” accusing him of latching onto the state governor, Abba Yusuf, in a desperate bid to remain relevant in Nigerian politics.
“We urge Kwankwaso to stop daydreaming and face reality. His misplaced confidence in reducing the APC’s votes in Kano State is nothing but wishful thinking. Our party remains the people’s choice,” Abbas said.
The APC chairman alleged that the NNPP’s performance in the 2023 elections was largely due to “manipulated votes,” vowing that such tactics would not be tolerated in future elections.
“Our teeming supporters in the APC have no reason to worry about Kwankwaso, who has been booted out of the NNPP due to his cluelessness and self-centeredness. He is now a wanderer in the political landscape,” Abbas stated.
He continued, “Kwankwaso left the APC because he couldn’t align with our progressive ideals. His overblown ego also forced him to abandon the PDP. Now, even the NNPP has rejected him, leaving him politically homeless.”
Abbas assured Kano residents that the APC was poised to reclaim the state in 2027 and “liberate the people from Kwankwaso’s undue influence,” which he said emanates from his “castle” on Miller Road.
The APC’s statement was a response to Kwankwaso’s remarks during a meeting with stakeholders from Tsanyawa Local Government Area at his residence in Kano.
At the meeting, Kwankwaso claimed that his team’s efforts during the 2023 elections sidelined the Peoples Democratic Party, leaving it with just 15,000 votes in Kano.
“We achieved this remarkable feat despite being a new party and starting our campaign late. Now, it’s our turn to diminish the APC. We will work tirelessly to ensure their votes in Kano are reduced to less than 15,000 in 2027,” Kwankwaso vowed.
The former governor also claimed to have received a group of “former councillors and senior special advisers” from the Abdullahi Ganduje-led administration, who pledged their allegiance to his camp.
