National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has said his former boss and presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would remain a serial loser in presidential contests because he is always driven by personal ambition.
Ganduje spoke in Abuja, Tuesday night, when he received the Bauchi State NNPP governorship candidate in the 2023 general election, Senator Haliru Jika, who formally returned to APC during an event at the national secretariat of the party.
In a symbolic act to mark the political shift, Ganduje, while receiving Jika and his group into APC, removed the characteristic red cap of the Kwankwasiyya group and replaced it with President Bola Tinubu’s signature cap bearing the unbroken chain insignia.
Alleging that Kwankwaso’s personal ambition had seen him change political parties a number of times, Ganduje stressed that the founder of Kwankwasiyya would prefer to be “a king in hell than be a servant in paradise” because he prioritized his personal ambition over national interest.
The APC national chairman said when he learnt Jika was coming to see him at his residence to discuss the way forward, he knew he was about to meet a formidable politician and a household name in Bauchi State.
According to Ganduje, Jika is returning to a party that is very progressive and focused, “when we look at where he is 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 Kwankwasiyya group”.
Ganduje said they were happy that the original NNPP was taking back its proper position and leaving the Kwankwasiyya group deserted and thrown out completely.
He stated, “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 Kwankwasiyya 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 and 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 up 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.”
Ganduje assured the returnees of inclusiveness in the running of APC in Bauchi State as part of an ongoing effort to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 polls. He said the party regretted its performance in the state at the last general election.
Addressing newsmen after meeting with Ganduje, the former NNPP candidate said the interest of his teeming supporters in Bauchi State was behind his decision to return to APC.
Jika stated, “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 return to APC.”
Jika, a ninth National Assembly senator, disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shettima and the first lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, also influenced his decision to return to the APC fold.
He pledged to remain loyal to APC and ensure its victory in 2027, both in the state and at the federal level.
Adedayo Akinwale
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