Rabiu Kwankwaso calls APC’s campaign continuous hardship
•You’re jittery over Yari, group fires back
•NRRM also decries Modu Sheriff’s inclusion
The vice presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has described the recently constituted All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council as representing a continuation of the same system that has brought severe hardship to Nigerians.
In a statement shared on his Facebook account, Kwankwaso said the composition of the council offered Nigerians a clear picture of the choice before them in the 2027 general election. He added that the election would be a struggle between the oppressed Nigerian masses and those who had benefited from and sustained the current system.
However, an APC support group, APC Daga Titi Zuwa Titi, said Kwankwaso’s comments expressed nervousness regarding Yari’s appointment as Director-General of the APC presidential campaign council.
National Coordinator of the group, Jaafar Hassan, said in a statement that Kwankwaso’s comments were a clear indication that Yari’s emergence as the ruling party’s campaign director had unsettled the opposition.
But Nigeria Rescue and Renewal Movement (NRRM) also condemned the inclusion of former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, in the APC presidential campaign council.
NRRM National President, Comrade Aliyu Adam Usman, told journalists that the organisation was particularly worried because of Sheriff’s alleged links to the Boko Haram terrorist group.
Kwankwaso said regarding the APC presidential campaign council, “The council brings together many of the same political actors who have supported, defended or participated in the present administration.
“Their coming together raises a fundamental question: what exactly are they asking Nigerians to vote for in 2027, a new beginning, or the continuation of the same system that has brought severe hardship to our people?”
Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, lamented that families across the country were struggling with the rising cost of food and basic necessities, while young Nigerians faced unemployment and diminishing opportunities.
He stated, “Farmers and businesses are struggling to survive, while millions continue to live with insecurity. Our education, healthcare and other essential public services remain under enormous pressure.”
Kwankwaso appealed to Yari to reconsider accepting the position of Director-General of APC Presidential Campaign Council
He said, “As a former governor of Zamfara State and a prominent leader from the North-west, I believe Senator Yari has a clear understanding of the devastating consequences of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, displacement and the destruction of livelihoods in the region and the country at large.
“I, therefore, will be surprised if, in his good conscience, he will lead a campaign whose principal objective is to secure the continuation of a government under which many of the people he once governed, and other innocent Nigerians remain trapped in these challenges.”
The statement also raised concerns over the inclusion of Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, and Director-General of Budget Office of the Federation, Dr Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, in the APC campaign’s fundraising and finance structures.
Kwankwaso stated that the leadership of critical public institutions demanded neutrality, integrity, and public confidence. He questioned whether the responsibilities of senior officials entrusted with managing public revenue and national finances could appropriately coexist with senior partisan campaign roles.
“The government and the APC should explain how such arrangements are consistent with institutional neutrality and public trust,” he stated.
Kwankwaso, however, expressed optimism that Nigerians would reject “continued oppression” in 2027 and demand accountable and people-centred governance.
GeographicReference
“If Osun people can do it, so can all other parts of the country,” he said, adding, “Ultimately, no campaign council is more powerful than the Nigerian people.”
Ex-Gov Jittery over Yari’s Appointment as APC Campaign Council DG, States Group
A support group, APC Daga Titi Zuwa Titi, fired back at Kwankwaso, saying he is jittery over the appointment of Yari as Director-General of the APC presidential campaign council.
The group stated that Kwankwaso’s comments about the appointment of Yari was a clear indication that his emergence had unsettled the opposition.
National Coordinator of the group, Jaafar Hassan, in a statement, said it was revealing that out of all the appointments announced in the APC campaign structure, Kwankwaso found it necessary to personally appeal to Yari to reconsider his acceptance of the responsibility.
Hassan stated, “Politicians rarely advise their opponents to abandon positions they consider politically irrelevant.
“Senator Kwankwaso may dress his intervention in the language of brotherly concern, but Nigerians can see through it.
“You do not publicly plead with an opponent to leave the battlefield unless you are worried about what his presence on that battlefield means.”
The group maintained that Yari’s appointment had altered the political calculations of opposition leaders, particularly in the North-west, where the former Zamfara State governor had built an extensive political network and growing grassroots following.
The organisation said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not appoint Senator Yari to decorate a campaign list. He appointed a former two-term governor, former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, serving Senator and experienced grassroots politician, who understands the political terrain of Northern Nigeria and has demonstrated an ability to organise, mobilise and build relationships across political and regional boundaries. That is what has made Kwankwaso uncomfortable.”
NRRM Condemns Modu Sheriff’s Inclusion in Tinubu’s Campaign Council
Nigeria Rescue and Renewal Movement (NRRM) also condemned the inclusion of former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, in APC’s Presidential Campaign Council.
Speaking with journalists, NRRM National President, Comrade Aliyu Adam Usman, said the organisation was particularly concerned about the decision because of historical allegations that had previously linked Sheriff to Boko Haram.
According to Usman, the appointment has reopened questions about political accountability and the suitability of individuals entrusted with major responsibilities in the North-east, a region that had endured years of insurgency and insecurity.
NRRM said its objection should not be interpreted as an assertion that Sheriff had been convicted of any offence or that the historical allegations had been established as facts.
Rather, the group said it was demanding greater scrutiny and accountability when political parties selected individuals to represent them in sensitive regions.
Usman stated, “Our concern is why a politician whose name has been associated with serious allegations concerning Boko Haram is being given the responsibility of coordinating the presidential campaign in the North-east, a region that has suffered tremendously from the insurgency.”
He stated that political parties should consider not only electoral calculations but also public confidence, historical controversies, and the broader interests of communities, when selecting campaign leaders.
Credit: ThisDay Newspapers
