The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, extended an invitation to Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State to join the APC on Thursday, marking a significant move in the ongoing political dynamics of the state.
This development follows recent speculations suggesting that President Bola Tinubu was working towards reconciling Ganduje and his former ally, Rabiu Kwankwaso. The aim is to woo back the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) into the APC fold.
Kwankwaso had previously departed from the APC, returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and later joined the NNPP, citing differences with Ganduje. The ongoing efforts to bring him and his followers back into the APC gained momentum this week.
Continuing this reconciliation process, Ganduje, the former governor of the state, made his first official visit to Kano since leaving office in May last year. Subsequently, he convened an APC stakeholders meeting on Thursday, the first of its kind since the Supreme Court resolved the contentious dispute over the state’s 2023 governorship election in favor of Mr. Yusuf of the NNPP.
Following the meeting, Ganduje revealed the APC’s intention to absorb the NNPP, aiming to establish Kano as a one-party state. Notably, the NNPP had secured victories in the presidential and governorship polls in the state, as well as a majority of the state and federal legislative seats.
He said, “We have resolved (at the meeting) to open our hands widely, we have resolved to provide an enabling environment to get more people into our party, and very soon we are starting with the electronic registration and we have resolved that Kano will produce the highest number of APC membership,” Mr Ganduje said at the meeting.
“This is not possible until we open our doors for others to come in. Myself, as the National Chairman of our party, we are working very hard round the clock with members of the national working committee to get more members into our party.
“We have many senators and members of the House of Representatives who have joined the party and very soon, some governors will join our party,” Mr Ganduje continued.
“If we can do this at the national level, why can’t we do it at the state level? Our hands are open, and we are appealing to those who like to join our party, in particular, we are inviting the governor (Abba Yusuf) and his officials to join our party, the APC.
“We are calling him with a loud voice that we are creating an enabling environment for the governor of Kano State and his party to come into our party so that we make a solid and large followership. Since we are the most populous state in the federation, also we must have the highest followership of APC in Nigeria,” Mr Ganduje said.
Mr Ganduje said Kano is critical in determining Nigeria’s presidency, saying no party can afford to lose the state.
“Kano State is a swing state, to win the presidency, the votes of Kano State are critical, essential and indispensable. Therefore, we will work day and night to ensure that Kano is converted to a one-party state, that is, an APC state.
“Our discussions have gone far with all the smaller political parties apart from the NNPP, and we are appealing to them to come back to our party, to abandon their party. And from the looks of things, Kano state will be a one-party state,” Mr Ganduje added.