2027: Kwankwaso faults APC campaign council, urges Yari to reconsider DG role
Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has criticised the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election, urging its Director-General, Abdul’aziz Yari, to reconsider his role.
Kwankwaso, in a statement posted on X on Sunday, questioned the decision of Yari, a former Zamfara State governor and prominent APC figure, to lead the campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
He argued that the composition of the council showed that the ruling party was relying on political actors who had either supported or served in the present administration.
According to Kwankwaso, this raises questions about what the APC intends to offer voters in 2027.
“The council brings together many of the same political actors who have supported, defended or participated in the present administration,” he said.
“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 said the 2027 presidential election would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to decide whether to retain the current administration or seek an alternative.
He listed rising living costs, unemployment, insecurity and pressure on education, healthcare and other public services among the challenges confronting Nigerians.
The former Kano governor particularly appealed to Yari to reconsider his decision to head Tinubu’s campaign, arguing that his experience in Zamfara should make him aware of the difficulties confronting Nigerians, especially in the North-West.
“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,” he said.
Kwankwaso questioned whether Yari would be comfortable leading a campaign seeking another term for the Tinubu administration amid the challenges he said Nigerians were facing.
He also raised concerns over the reported inclusion of the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, in the campaign’s fundraising and finance structures.
According to him, the involvement of senior public officials in partisan campaign activities raises questions about institutional neutrality and public confidence.
“The leadership of critical public institutions demands neutrality, integrity and public confidence,” Kwankwaso said.
He called on the government and the APC to explain how the involvement of the officials in the campaign structure was compatible with those principles.
Kwankwaso also urged Nigerians to reject what he described as continued oppression and vote for accountable, people-centred governance in 2027.
“If Osun people can do it, so can all other parts of the country,” he said.
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