'Serial loser,' Ganduje mocks Kwankwaso as NNPP governorship candidate defects to APC

The national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has publicly ridiculed the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, labeling him a "serial loser."

Ganduje's fiery remarks came to light on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, during a significant event where the Bauchi state NNPP governorship candidate for the 2023 election, Haliru Dauda Jika, officially switched allegiance to the APC. The grand defection ceremony took place at the national secretariat of the APC in the heart of Abuja.

The former governor of Kano, Ganduje, wasted no time in launching his verbal attack, asserting that Kwankwaso's relentless pursuit of personal interests over national concerns has consistently thwarted his presidential ambitions. Ganduje also pointed fingers at Kwankwaso's wavering commitment to party principles throughout his political career, deeming it a key factor in his enduring string of electoral defeats.

Ganduje didn't mince words, stating that Kwankwaso had come to realize that the NNPP, backed by his 'Kwankwasiyya' movement, was merely a "deceitful and exploitative" platform.

"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," Ganduje declared.

Highlighting Kwankwaso's track record as a "professional contestant" in presidential elections, Ganduje confidently predicted that he would remain a "professional failure."

"He loves himself so much. I am happy you have dumped the red cap," Ganduje quipped.

The APC national chairman extended promises of inclusivity to the returning members, affirming the party's commitment to repositioning itself ahead of the 2027 polls.

Jika, the former NNPP candidate, shared his reasons for returning to the APC fold, emphasising that it was in response to the desires of his ardent supporters in Bauchi state.

"My decision to leave 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 return to APC," Jika explained.

This political drama unfolds following last week's decision by the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to oust Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP, a political protégé of Kwankwaso. The tribunal declared Nasiru Gawuna of the APC as the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election.

However, the verdict has drawn sharp criticism from legal scholars, who argue that over 165,663 votes in favor of the NNPP were unjustly invalidated by the three-member panel of judges.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) initially declared the NNPP victorious with 1,019,602 votes, narrowly defeating the APC's Nasiru Gawuna, who garnered 890,705 votes, creating a 128,897-vote margin.