Kano APC Chair Declares Gov’ship Ambition Amid Party Crisis
Amid internal party tensions, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Abdullahi Abbas, has declared his ambition to become the governor of the state, choosing not to seek re-election for a fourth term as the party chairman.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Abbas responded to recent comments by the Minister of Housing, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, who had threatened to leave the party if Abbas was re-elected as chairman for a fourth term. Ata’s remarks, captured in a viral video, have escalated political friction within the APC in Kano, a state with significant electoral influence.
Abbas dismissed Ata’s threat, suggesting that Ata was not a core member of the APC, pointing to the party’s poor performance in Ata’s local government area in previous elections. He expressed surprise at Ata’s appointment as minister, arguing that Ata had never truly supported the party and had even worked against it during the elections.
Abbas stated, “As far as we, the party members, are concerned, he was never truly one of us. In the whole of Kano, we only ranked third in his local government area during elections,” further suggesting that Ata’s ministerial appointment was inexplicable, given his alleged lack of party loyalty.
The controversy surrounding Abbas and Ata stems from differing views on the party’s leadership and the APC’s loss in the 2023 elections. Ata has pointed fingers at the APC leadership, claiming that their actions, including Abbas’ statements, contributed to the party’s defeat.
Ata’s recent warning, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Fage local government area, further deepened the division within the party, as he vowed that he and others would leave the APC if the same leadership remained in place.
The ongoing dispute has raised questions about the APC’s internal stability in Kano State, with Abbas now positioning himself as a gubernatorial candidate, potentially leading to more rifts within the party as the political landscape in the state continues to shift.
