By Seyi Olorunsola
Dear Mr. President
Protect APC’s Future in Kano
Mr. President, I trust that this open letter meets you well.
As Nigeria charts its course towards the 2027 General Elections, the political landscape in Kano State stands as a battleground for the future of the All Progressives Congress (APC). At the heart of this struggle lies the insidious agenda of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), aiming to dismantle the APC stronghold and erect its own impregnable fortress. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the custodian of APC’s destiny, must heed this clarion call to safeguard the party’s integrity and unity in Kano.
The recent tribulations faced by Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the APC and erstwhile Governor of Kano State, bear the hallmarks of a calculated ploy orchestrated by the NNPP and the incumbent state government. Their aim is clear: sow seeds of discord within the APC ranks, destabilize Ganduje’s leadership, and pave the way for NNPP’s continuous self-perpetuation in power in the state.
It is imperative Mr. President that you to discern the true nature of this predicament. The NNPP’s machinations are not merely local skirmishes; they are strategic moves aimed at consolidating power in Kano, with far-reaching implications for the APC’s national electoral prospects in 2027. By undermining Dr. Umar Ganduje, the NNPP seeks to fracture the APC’s stronghold in Kano, depriving President Tinubu of a significant voting bloc crucial for his presidential aspirations.
It is imperative Mr President to remember your days of activism for democracy in Nigeria which led you to the trenches alongside other pro-democracy agitators in the wake of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election annulment which led to the truncation of the 3rd Republic. In the wake of the birth of the 4th Republic in 1999, as Governor of Lagos State under the Alliance for Democracy (AD), you rallied associates and men and women of like minds to cordon off the entire South West of Nigeria along the same political ideology.
However, with the Federal Might under President Olusegun Obasanjo during the 2003 General Elections, the entire South West except Tinubu’s Lagos came under the leadership of the PDP. Mr. President, you should remember also that you rallied associates through legal battles and pushed back that Federal Might and reclaimed the South West till date for Progressive minded political parties, which is now under the umbrella of the All Progress Congress APC.
I want to state clearly without any equivocation Mr. President, that it is the same politics with a huge measure of deceptive strategy that the NNPP is trying to play in Kano State so that it can consolidate its expansionist agenda. Mr. President should therefore not be deceived into believing that getting Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje out of the way as the National Chairman of the party will better the lot of his ambition in 2027 in any way. It would rather trim your chances.
It must be noted that Dr. Ganduje is the only northern political elder who is the last man standing for you Mr. President sir, in the northern zone and if the NNPP succeeds in getting him out of the way, your capacity to garner votes going into the next election would be truncated massively.
Mr. President, you must be informed that what led to the victory of the NNPP in the last gubernatorial elections in Kano was not because the APC lacked support amongst the people; it is basically because the APC was divided along a lot of lines and the intra-party conflicts whittled down the vote counts for the party. This intra-party challenges led a lot of APC members to cross-carpet to the NNPP. However, the recent renewal of activities to reconcile aggrieved persons championed by the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in the last elections, Dr. Yusuf Gawuna and the State Chairman of the APC and his team members is yielding a lot of positive results. In view of this efforts, the party members who had left the party for the NNPP have been returning in their numbers therefore swelling the support for the APC in a renewed fashion in Kano. The NNPP is therefore losing steam in the state.
Mr. President, you are a renowned democrat with a track record of being a party loyalist and it is my trust that you will continue to maintain that position even in the face of the crisis in Kano.
Dr. Ganduje’s unwavering loyalty to you, Mr. President and the APC cannot be overstated. Throughout the tumultuous political landscape, he stood as a bulwark, steadfast in his support for the President, even at the risk of his own political future. Kano, under Ganduje’s stewardship, delivered a resounding mandate to President Tinubu in the last elections, with over 800,000 votes—an invaluable contribution that propelled him to victory. I strongly believe sir, that you will reciprocate this loyalty and support by rallying behind Dr. Ganduje in his hour of need. To allow the NNPP’s agenda to succeed would be tantamount to political suicide, not only for President Tinubu but for the APC’s future in Kano and beyond. The President’s intervention is not merely a matter of political expediency but a moral obligation to uphold the democratic principles upon which the APC stands.
The cohesion of the APC in Kano is not a matter of convenience but a strategic imperative. President Tinubu must ensure that the party remains united under Ganduje’s leadership at the national level and the state structure, with unwavering support from the Federal Ruling government reigning under the auspices of the APC. Every member of the APC in Kano must feel the palpable presence of the President’s backing, acknowledging their invaluable contribution to his electoral success.
Failure to stem the tide of disarray within the APC ranks in Kano would have dire political ramifications. It would not only jeopardize the President’s prospects in the state but also undermine the APC’s position in the North West region as a whole. President Tinubu’s decisive action is the linchpin upon which the APC’s future in Kano hinges.
In conclusion, the fate of the APC in Kano is at a crossroads, with the NNPP’s agenda threatening to derail its electoral fortunes. President Tinubu must rise to the occasion, safeguarding the party’s integrity, and ensuring its unity under Dr. Ganduje’s leadership. The stakes are high, but the President’s commitment to the APC’s cause must remain unwavering. Only through concerted effort and decisive action can the APC prevail against the forces of disintegration and secure its future in Kano and beyond.