By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Former Kano State Governor and Vice Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has criticised the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election, describing it as a continuation of the same political system he said had brought hardship to Nigerians.
Kwankwaso, in a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, said the newly constituted campaign council had provided Nigerians with “a clear picture” of the choice before them in the 2027 general election.
He argued that the council comprised many political actors who had supported, defended or participated in the present administration, raising questions about whether the APC was offering Nigerians “a new beginning” or seeking a continuation of the current system.
“The truth is, I see the 2027 election as a struggle between the oppressed Nigerian masses and those who have benefited from, defended and sustained the system responsible for their hardship,” he said.
Kwankwaso listed rising food and living costs, unemployment, declining opportunities for young people, difficulties facing farmers and businesses, insecurity and pressure on education and healthcare as some of the challenges confronting Nigerians.
He said the APC campaign structure represented another contest between “the oppressors and the oppressed”, urging Nigerians to use the 2027 election to reject what he described as continued oppression and demand accountable, people-centred governance.
“If Osun people can do it, so can all other parts of the country,” he said, apparently referring to the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election.
The former governor also appealed to Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, who has accepted to serve as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, to reconsider the decision.
Kwankwaso said Yari, as a former governor of Zamfara State and prominent North-West leader, was familiar with the devastating effects of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, displacement and destruction of livelihoods in the region.
“I therefore will be surprised if in his good conscience, 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?” he asked.
Kwankwaso also raised questions over the inclusion of the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, in the campaign’s fundraising and finance structures.
He argued that the leadership of critical public institutions required neutrality, integrity and public confidence, questioning whether the responsibilities of senior officials 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 said.
Kwankwaso, however, concluded that the ultimate power remained with Nigerian voters, declaring: “Ultimately, no campaign council is more powerful than the Nigerian people.”
