The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for describing the party as “dead”.
It can be recalled that Kwankwaso made the statement on Saturday during the inauguration of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) office in Katsina State.
“I wish to remind you that PDP is dead because we left the party. Since they have gone out of the line, we decided to check out,” he had said.
Reacting, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba dismissed Kwankwaso as “inconsequential” in Nigerian politics, noting that his new party, NNPP, is struggling to control even one state.
Ologunagba questioned how a politician with such limited influence could declare a party with 13 governors, numerous senators, and a strong presence in local government areas and wards across the country as “dead”.
He accused Kwankwaso of exhibiting “extreme selfishness and self-centeredness”, prioritizing his presidential ambitions over the suffering of Nigerians.
He said: “Our reaction to the statement credited to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is that he is very inconsequential in the Nigerian national politics today, judging from the fact that he is struggling to lead a party called NNPP which is also struggling to control only one state.
“It is unfathomable to imagine that a failed and inconsequential politician with only one state would claim that a party that has 13 governors, many senators, many members of the House of Representatives, control of several states’ House of Assembly and a strong presence in all the local government areas and wards across the country is dead.
“More disturbing is that Senator Kwankwaso has exhibited extreme selfishness and self-centeredness, which shows that he is not a leader.
“It is unfortunate that he is up to this at this time when the PDP and patriotic Nigerians are speaking out against the excruciating hardship in the country…
“At this time, Nigerians, including in Senator Kwankwaso’s home state, Kano, are dying of hunger and starvation.
“At a time when over 150 million Nigerians have sunk deeper into poverty; when millions of Nigerians are daily losing their means of livelihood; at a time when the naira has fallen to over N1,600 to a dollar with over 34 per cent inflation rate; in the wake of brutal increase in the price of petrol to over N1,200 in various parts of the country, the only thing that occupies Senator Kwankwaso’s mind is his self-centered pipe dream of becoming President.
“It is very unfortunate. So, the PDP does not intend to join issues with him on such display of self-centeredness and insensitivity.”
“In any event, whatever political relevance Senator Kwankwaso believes he has achieved, he did so only when he was in the PDP.”