A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Seyi Olorunsola, has declared that the party does not need the influence of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to secure victory in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Kano on Sunday, Olorunsola, who is the Convener of the Tinubu/Barau/Atah Movement, said the APC has developed a winning strategy capable of delivering President Bola Tinubu, its governorship candidate, and all other APC flagbearers in the state.
He accused President Tinubu and APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, of giving Kwankwaso “unnecessary attention,” stressing that the former Kano governor cannot outweigh the combined strength of Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Minister of State for Housing Yusuf Abdullahi Atah, and Senator Kawu Sumaila.
“Yusuf Abdullahi Atah is from Kano Central; he will checkmate Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from that zone. Kano North has Barau Jibrin and former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, while Kano South has Senator Kawu Sumaila. By our calculation, we have a formidable campaign team for 2027,” Olorunsola said.
He revealed that his movement is backing Barau Jibrin as the APC governorship candidate in 2027, with Atah as his running mate, and alleged that Kwankwaso is plotting to disrupt the arrangement.
“Kwankwaso is aware of this arrangement and is afraid of Barau’s growing popularity in the state. That is why he is desperate to join APC and scuttle the plan,” he claimed.
Olorunsola also revisited the controversy surrounding the 2023 governorship election in Kano, insisting the APC originally won before the Supreme Court “changed everything overnight.”
“The tribunal and Court of Appeal affirmed our victory, saying Abba Yusuf was not a candidate of the NNPP and that illegal ballot papers were thumb-printed. They were already packing out of Government House when everything changed at the Supreme Court. The world is a witness to what happened,” he said.
He cautioned Tinubu against overestimating Kwankwaso’s political value.
“President Tinubu should not make the mistake of thinking Kwankwaso will deliver him in Kano. He is the leader of the party, but he cannot dictate how we win elections here,” Olorunsola stated.
The APC chieftain further stressed that Kwankwaso must follow due process if he intends to join the ruling party.
“Like Dr. Ganduje has told him, he must obey APC’s rules and constitution. Why is Kwankwaso talking about a letter on social media? He should come out and clearly state whether he is joining APC or not,” he added.
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