9th September, 2024
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said former Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is very inconsequential in the Nigerian national politics today as he is struggling to lead a party which is also struggling to control only one state.
PDP, the main opposition party in Nigeria said this while reacting to claims by Kwankwaso, the National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP that it is a dead party.
Kwakwaso spoke on Saturdau during the inauguration of new office of the NNPP in Katsina State.
The former Kano governor who was the NNPP presidential candidate in the 2023 election said PDP died after he left the party.
Kwankwaso, who was elected governor of Kano twice on the platform of PDP also said he will win the 2027 presidential election on the platform of NNPP.
However, while reacting to the claim of Kwamkwaso, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba accused Kwankwaso of insensitivity, noting that the concerns of Nigerians now is how to survive the current hardship in the country and not about the 2027 election.
PDP also said Kwankwaso’s NNPP cannot match up to the PDP in terms of the number of states and other elected officials in its ranks.
He said, “Our reaction to the statement credited to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is that he is very inconsequential in the Nigerian national politics today, judging from the fact that he is struggling to lead a party called NNPP which is also struggling to control only one state.
“It is unfathomable to imagine that a failed and inconsequential politician with only one state would claim that a party that has 13 governors, many senators, many members of the House of Representatives, control of several states’ House of Assembly and a strong presence in all the local government areas and wards across the country is dead.
“More disturbing is that Senator Kwankwaso has exhibited extreme selfishness and self-centeredness, which shows that he is not a leader.
“It is unfortunate that he is up to this at this time when the PDP and patriotic Nigerians are speaking out against the excruciating hardship in the country…
“At this time, Nigerians, including in Senator Kwankwaso’s home state, Kano, are dying of hunger and starvation.
“At a time when over 150 million Nigerians have sunk deeper into poverty; when millions of Nigerians are daily losing their means of livelihood; at a time when the naira has fallen to over N1,600 to a dollar with over 34 per cent inflation rate; in the wake of brutal increase in the price of petrol to over N1,200 in various parts of the country, the only thing that occupies Senator Kwankwaso’s mind is his self-centered pipe dream of becoming President.
“It is very unfortunate. So, the PDP does not intend to join issues with him on such display of self-centeredness and insensitivity.”
“In any event, whatever political relevance Senator Kwankwaso believes he has achieved, he did so only when he was in the PDP.”