Vice presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has urged Senator Abdul’aziz Yari to reconsider his decision to serve as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
Kwankwaso, in a statement on Sunday, said the composition of the APC campaign council showed Nigerians that the 2027 election would be a contest between those seeking to sustain the present administration and those demanding a change in government.
He said the council comprised many political actors who had supported, defended or participated in the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
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According to him, the development raises questions about whether the APC is offering Nigerians a new direction or seeking to continue with what he described as a system that had brought severe hardship to citizens.
Kwankwaso said, “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 expressed concern over the rising cost of food and other basic necessities, unemployment, declining opportunities for young Nigerians, insecurity and the difficulties confronting farmers and businesses.
He also lamented the pressure on education, healthcare and other essential public services.
The NNPP chieftain urged Nigerians to use the 2027 election to reject what he described as continued oppression and demand accountable and people-centred governance.
“If Osun people can do it, so can all other parts of the country,” he said.
Kwankwaso specifically appealed to Yari, a former Zamfara State governor and prominent North-West politician, to reflect on his decision to lead the APC campaign.
“I particularly appeal to my brother, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, who has accepted to serve as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, to reflect deeply and reconsider accepting this responsibility,” he said.
He argued that Yari, having served as governor of Zamfara State, should understand the impact of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, displacement and destruction of livelihoods on the people of the region and the country.
Kwankwaso questioned whether Yari could, in good conscience, lead a campaign seeking the continuation of an administration under which many Nigerians remain confronted by those challenges.
He also raised concerns over the reported 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.
According to him, the leadership of critical public institutions requires neutrality, integrity and public confidence.
He therefore called on the Federal Government and the APC to explain how the involvement of senior officials responsible for public revenue and national finances in partisan campaign structures aligns with institutional neutrality and public trust.
Kwankwaso, however, maintained that the ultimate power rested with Nigerians.
“Ultimately, no campaign council is more powerful than the Nigerian people,” he said.
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