The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on Monday, mocked the presidential candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party, Senator Musa Kwankwaso, and his Kwankwasiyya group, saying there won’t be a vacancy in the Presidency in 2027.
Ganduje reiterated his claim that the NNPP in Kano was behind his purported suspension as a member of the APC.
The APC National Chairman made the claim while receiving hundreds of his supporters and some support groups from Kano at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
Both Ganduje and Kwankwaso, two former Kano governors, were allies before they fell out a few years ago over political differences in the state.
Despite recent entreaties by a former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the APC, Salihu Lukman, for President Tinubu to settle their rift, the war of words between the camp of the two politicians has continued.
Addressing his supporters, Ganduje alleged that the NNPP and its chieftains were still sulking from losing the last presidential election.
The Kano politician, who spoke in both Hausa and English language, further claimed that Kwankwaso and his NNPP supporters had resorted to sponsoring propaganda against the leadership of the APC after foreseeing another imminent defeat ahead.
He said, “They are so afraid because we are consolidating. They are so afraid all over the country because we are receiving new entrants into our party. That creates fear in their minds. They are already eyeing 2027. But by that time, there is no vacancy. Only our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will, Insha Allah, continue as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have heard your commitment and speeches and we understand your mission. The whole drama, political rascality, started in Kano with the government. Instead of responding to the yearnings, needs and demands of the people of Kano state, they decided to divert attention.
“Our eyes are on those who are diverting our attention to political propaganda against the APC. Can we allow them to continue like that? We understand what they are doing. It is a political drama. They are also sponsoring pockets of diffident protest from all over the country. They are spending a huge chunk of money for people to demonstrate against the leadership of our party.”
Earlier in his address, the convener of the solidarity walk, Prof. Salihu Alizaga, said loyal party men and women in their ‘thousands’ converged to show solidarity with President Bola Tinubu and the national chairman of the party.
“We are here to tell the whole world that the APC is one united family, devoid of rancour as being erroneously portrayed and speculated by few individuals under the obvious sponsorship of the New Nigeria People’s Party-led Kano State Government.
“We advise those who wish to be national chairman after Dr Abdullahi Ganduje to wait till the next elective convention where everyone will be allowed to test their popularity in the convention field. The NEC of our great party has elected Dr Abdullah Ganduje as the national chairman and he has his tenure of office to complete. There is no ambiguity at all.
“We are confident that those who want the National Chairman removed are those who are interested in unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. We cannot sacrifice competence on the altar of mediocrity,” he stated.
But reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, described Ganduje as a drowning and delusional politician who is frantically trying to drag the President into his travail.
He said, “Usually we don’t give a reply to everything Ganduje says. This is a man who is having a running battle with the party executives of his ward. It shows he lacks credibility and he is not bold enough to go to court to face the charges against him. This is why we think he does not have the moral standing to be postulating politics and the future.
“However, his behaviour is becoming delusional. The Kwankwaso he mentioned, Governor Abba Yusuf and other leaders have nothing to do with the travail he is facing, which he has caused with his own hands.
“It is unfortunate that he is trying to link his travail to the presidential election in 2027. He is merely trying to curry the sympathy and favour of the leaders of his party and Mr President by trying to link NNPP to his problems. That explains his obsession with the ‘no vacancy’ statement.”