The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) accused Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the National Leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party, of attempting to diminish the political influence of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC’s National Chairman, ahead of the next Kano State election.
This accusation was made by Prof Abdulkareem Kana, the APC’s National Legal Adviser, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Kana stated that evidence points to the leadership of NNPP in Kano being behind sponsored protests aimed at removing Ganduje as the APC’s national chairman.
Kana admitted on the program that the motive behind the protests was to undermine Ganduje’s significance before the upcoming state election.
He acknowledged the strained relationship between Ganduje and Kwankwaso, viewing it as a strategic move to impact Ganduje’s influence in Kano. Kana expressed optimism that the political rift between the two could eventually be resolved through negotiation.
Kana clarified that those involved in the protests were not members of the APC but were associated with NNPP. He praised Ganduje’s leadership qualities and described him as a responsible leader committed to inclusive governance.
In response, Ladipo Johnson, the National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, dismissed the APC’s accusations, labeling the party as confused and its leader as delusional. Johnson denied Kwankwaso’s involvement in Ganduje’s predicament, attributing it to internal conflicts within the APC.
The campaign to remove Ganduje as APC’s national chairman gained momentum recently, notably with demonstrators storming the APC secretariat in Abuja, demanding his resignation. They cited Ganduje’s suspension by a faction of his ward executive and bribery allegations from the Kano State government as reasons for their demand.