The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has strongly criticized Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), labeling him as a liability to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party. In a statement released on Friday, Yakubu Shendam, the national publicity secretary of the NNPP, asserted that Ganduje would not be able to secure election victory for Tinubu in 2027.
Shendam’s response stemmed from remarks attributed to Ganduje, wherein he referred to Kwankwaso as a perennial loser. The NNPP denounced Ganduje, citing the numerous scandals surrounding him and asserting that he should not be taken seriously by any sensible Nigerian. The party asserted that these scandals have irreparably damaged the reputation of the former governor of Kano State and that Ganduje’s leadership would be incapable of delivering victory for Tinubu and the APC in 2027. The NNPP even claimed that with Ganduje at the helm, the APC would already be considered a dead party.
According to Shendam, “Ganduje is a liability to Tinubu, a liability to his party APC, and a liability to the country. I can confidently say that with Ganduje as the National Chairman, President Bola Tinubu will lose the 2027 presidential election, as Nigerians will not vote for him.” The NNPP spokesperson went on to express his belief that Tinubu would regret being associated with such a treacherous character as Ganduje.
Shendam also took the opportunity to remind Ganduje of his close association with Kwankwaso. He pointed out that after losing the governorship primary, Kwankwaso chose Ganduje as his running mate in 2003, and later appointed him as the Special Assistant to the Minister of Defense and Executive Secretary of the Chad Basin Development Commission. Furthermore, when Kwankwaso completed his second term as governor, he graciously handed over power to Ganduje in 2015. Despite this history, the NNPP claimed that Ganduje betrayed Kwankwaso. Shendam concluded by expressing his belief that the forthcoming election would be Ganduje’s last, as he would not secure victory.
The statement by the NNPP also highlighted that Ganduje has never won an election in his entire political career, except for the one in 2015 where Kwankwaso paved the way for his victory. They also pointed out that Ganduje suffered a resounding defeat in the 2019 election. The NNPP’s national leader expressed concern over the attempts by the Ganduje-led ruling APC to subvert the will of the people of Kano State. They cautioned that any attempt to seize power in Kano through illegitimate means, as allegedly done in 2019, would be met with resistance from the people of Kano and judges of integrity.
By calling out Ganduje’s alleged shortcomings and highlighting his questionable track record, the NNPP aims to delegitimize his position and diminish his influence within the APC and the presidency. The ball is now in the court of the APC to respond to these scathing allegations made by the NNPP, as the political landscape continues to take shape leading up to the 2023 elections.
