The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje has described his predecessor in office as the Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso as a perennial presidential candidate and a serial loser.
Speaking in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat while hosting the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Haliru Dauda Jika, who formally defected to the APC, Ganduje said Kwankwaso is a selfish individual who specializes in deceiving people and is always first to jump boat when he doesn’t get what he wants.
The APC Chairman said Jika made the right choice to dump the NNPP and return to the APC.
Ganduje said: “When I got the news that you were coming to see me in my house to discuss the way forward, I knew I was meeting a very formidable politician in the person of Senator Jika who is a household name in Bauchi state.“He is returning to a party that is very progressive and focused when we look at where he was coming from. He is coming from a party that used to be a decent party and highly respected but was later hijacked and polluted by the kwankwasiya group.
“We are happy that the original NNPP is taking back its proper position and leaving the kwankwasiya group deserted and thrown out completely.
“The Kwankwasiyya group headed by the former kano state governor was forced to go into a sabbatical leave for eight years before it found its way back to Government House in Kano.
“The Kwankwasiya head who wears a red cap is the person who prefers to be a king in hell than be a servant in paradise. He specializes in deceiving people. He was first in PDP, came back to APC when it was formed. That was when the nPDP merged with the legacy parties to form the APC.
“Instead of staying in APC because of his ambition, he decided to leave APC after failing to pick the presidential ticket to go back to the PDP. He could not stay there again when he failed to pick the ticket.
“He still went on his own to contest the presidential poll and was defeated twice. He is a professional contestant for presidential elections and would remain a professional failure. He loves himself so much. I am happy you have dumped the red cap . It is a very sensible action that you have taken.”
The APC chairman promised Jika and all those who returned with him inclusiveness in the party ahead of the 2027 polls.
“He is returning to a party that is very progressive and focused when we look at where he was coming from. He is coming from a party that used to be a decent party and highly respected but was later hijacked and polluted by the kwankwasiya group.
“We are happy that the original NNPP is taking back its proper position and leaving the kwankwasiya group deserted and thrown out completely.
“The Kwankwasiyya group headed by the former kano state governor was forced to go into a sabbatical leave for eight years before it found its way back to Government House in Kano.
“The Kwankwasiya head who wears a red cap is the person who prefers to be a king in hell than be a servant in paradise. He specializes in deceiving people. He was first in PDP, came back to APC when it was formed. That was when the PDP merged with the legacy parties to form the APC.
“Instead of staying in APC because of his ambition, he decided to leave APC after failing to pick the presidential ticket to go back to the PDP. He could not stay there again when he failed to pick the ticket.
“He still went on his own to contest the presidential poll and was defeated twice. He is a professional contestant for presidential elections and would remain a professional failure. He loves himself so much. I am happy you have dumped the red cap . It is a very sensible action that you have taken.”
The APC chairman promised Jika and all those who returned with him inclusiveness in the party ahead of the 2027 polls.
At the event, the usual red cap won by members of the Kwankwasiya movement was removed from Jika’s head and replaced with another one with the unbroken chain insignia cap of President Bola Tinubu to signify his return to the APC.
Speaking at the event, Jika clarified that his decision to defect to APC has nothing to do with Kwankwaso as a person but revealed that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima and First Lady, Remi Tinubu influenced his decision.
He said: “My dumping NNPP for APC has nothing to do with the presidential candidate of NNPP. I have no issue with Kwankwaso. The interest of Bauchi State informed my returning back to APC.”