Presidential Elections: Kwankwaso will remain serial loser – Ganduje
By Tom Okpe
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has asserted that former Governor of Kano State and Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso would remain a serial loser in presidential elections in the country.
Ganduje made this assertion in Abuja at the party National Secretariat, Buhari House when he recieved in audience, Bauchi state NNPP governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Sen Haliru Dauda Jika who formally returned to the APC.
He said pursuit of selfish interest against national interest would continue to hinder the realisation of Kwankwaso’s presidential ambition, saying Kwankwaso’s inability to maintain a principled stand in party politics over the years is another factor that made the former Minister of Defence a perpetual loser.
The immediate past Governor of Kano State, Ganduje hailed and described the decision of Jika to return to the ruling party as a step in the right direction, noting that the former NNPP flag bearer in Bauchi state, must have realised that the ‘Kwankwasiyya backed’ NNPP is “deceitful, and exploitative”.
“When I got the news that you were coming to see me in my house to discuss the way forward, I knew I was meeting a very formidable politician in the person of Senator Jika, who is a household name in Bauchi State.
“We are happy that the original NNPP is taking back its proper position and leaving the Kwankwasiya group, deserted and thrown out, completely.
“He is returning to a party that is progressive and focused; when we look at where he is coming from. He is coming from a party that used to be a decent party and highly respected but was later hijacked and polluted by the Kwankwasiya group.
“The Kwankwasiyya group headed by the former Kano State Governor was forced to go into a sabbatical leave for eight years before it found its way back to Government House in Kano.
“The Kwankwasiya head who wears a red cap is the person who prefers to be a king in hell than be a servant in paradise.
“He specializes in deceiving people. He was first in PDP and came back to APC when it was formed. That was when the nPDP merged with the legacy parties to form the APC.
“Instead of staying in APC because of his ambition, he decided to leave APC after failing to pick the presidential ticket to go back to the PDP. He could not stay there again when he failed to pick up the ticket.
“He still went on his own to contest the presidential poll and was defeated twice. He is a professional contestant for presidential elections and would remain a professional failure.
“He loves himself so much. I am happy you have dumped the red cap. It is a very sensible action that you have taken,” Ganduje said.
The Chairman then promised the returnees of inclusiveness in the running of the party in the state as part of an ongoing effort to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 poll, stressing that the party regretted its performance at the just concluded general elections in the state.
The National Chairman however, carried out a symbolic change by removing the red cap, usually worn by the Kwankwasiya group, replacing it with the unbroken chain insignia cap of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to receive Jika and his group to the APC fold.
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Addressing newsmen, the former NNPP candidate said his decision to return to APC was informed by the wishes of his teeming supporters in Bauchi state.
He said: “My dumping NNPP for APC has nothing to do with the presidential candidate of NNPP.
“I have no issue with Kwankwaso. The interest of Bauchi State, informed my returning to APC.”
Admitting that Vice President Kashim Shettima and the first lady, Sen Remi Tinubu also influenced his decision to return to the APC fold, the 9th Assembly Senator pledged to remain loyal to APC and to ensure its victory, come 2027 both in the state and at Federal level.
