Former Kano State Governor and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has questioned the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election, describing it as a continuation of the same political system responsible for the hardship confronting Nigerians.
Kwankwaso, in a statement reacting to the recently constituted campaign council, argued that the membership of the council had presented Nigerians with a clear choice between continuity and what he described as a “new direction” for the country.
The APC council is chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, serving as vice chairmen, while former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, was appointed Director-General.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State is the council’s secretary.
Kwankwaso questioned why political actors who have supported or participated in the Tinubu administration would now be leading its campaign for another term.
According to him, the development raises the question of whether the APC is seeking a “new beginning” or asking Nigerians to endorse the continuation of what he described as a system that had subjected citizens to severe economic hardship.
He said millions of Nigerians were struggling with rising food prices and other basic necessities, while young people faced unemployment and dwindling opportunities.
He also cited insecurity, pressure on farmers and businesses, and challenges confronting the education, healthcare and other public sectors as issues requiring urgent attention.
“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.
The former Kano governor urged Nigerians to use the 2027 election to demand accountable and people-centred governance, adding that the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election demonstrated that voters could reject political arrangements they were dissatisfied with.
Kwankwaso also made a direct appeal to Yari to reconsider his decision to lead the APC campaign.
He argued that, as a former governor of Zamfara State and prominent North-West politician, Yari was familiar with the challenges of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, displacement and destruction of livelihoods confronting the region.
“I therefore will be surprised if in his good conscience, [he] 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.
Beyond the political composition of the campaign council, Kwankwaso raised questions about the involvement of senior officials of key public institutions in the campaign’s fundraising and finance structures.
He specifically questioned 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.
Kwankwaso said the leadership of critical public institutions required neutrality, integrity and public confidence, questioning whether the responsibilities of officials managing public revenue and national finances could appropriately coexist with senior partisan campaign roles.
He consequently challenged the Federal Government and the APC to explain how such arrangements were consistent with institutional neutrality and public trust.
Kwankwaso maintained that the size or composition of the APC campaign structure could not override the power of Nigerian voters.
“Ultimately, no campaign council is more powerful than the Nigerian people,” he declared.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council has been charged by President Tinubu to work towards victory for the party in the January 2027 elections, with the President urging members to showcase the administration’s achievements and convince Nigerians to support its programmes.