Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata has blamed the Kano State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Abbas for the party’s defeat in the 2023 elections.
Ata also warned that any attempt to retain Abbas as chairman would lead to further crisis and possible mass defections from party.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ and caucus meeting in Kano, Ata stated that Abbas’ leadership contributed significantly to the party’s negative fortune.
He further accused Abbas of making reckless statements which he claimed alienated voters and damaged APC’s standing in the state.
“We would not take it lightly if the current Chairman Abdullahi Abbas is imposed on us for a fourth term. This will surely result in us defecting immediately from the party,” Ata warned.
“We are saying it loud and clear, I swear, if Abdullahi Abbas is given another chance, all of us will decamp from the party, and APC will crash and lose 2027. This is my message to anybody who cares to listen,” the minister warned.
He added, “Any attempts to give the current Chairman of the APC Abdullahi Abbas another chance would cause serious crises in the party. We will not stand by and watch as the same mistakes that led to our defeat in 2023 are repeated.”
Ata stressed that, “The arrogant and misguided disposition of Abdullahi Abbas as State Chairman, questioning the powerful position of God, was among so many negative tendencies that crippled and made the party lose power in 2023.
“And up till today, the same person has not changed, therefore we are strongly warning that in any case and anyhow Abdullahi Abbas was given another chance, everyone should consider the party losing 2027.”
He maintained that with Abbas as Chairman, “the APC is a foregone party in Kano.”
Ata alleged that APC won the governorship contest in 2023 with Gawuna and Sule Garo as gubernatorial candidate and deputy, “but what happened was the anti-God remarks of Abdullahi Abbas that truncated the victory.”
This is coming on the heels of rumours that the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje favours Abbas to continue leading the party in Kano State, a move that has stirred significant controversy among party members.
The minister also emphasised the need for APC members to learn from the mistakes that led to their electoral loss, vowing to visit different local government areas in Kano metropolis to mediate and resolve internal disputes within the party.
He insisted that the party would not regain stability unless Abbas was removed from leadership.
Similarly, a former member of the House of Representatives for Fagge, Hon. Aminu Sulaiman Goro, expressed concerns over APC’s future in Kano.
While welcoming efforts to unite party members, Goro stressed that the integrity and reputation of political stakeholders must be protected.
He warned that if reconciliation efforts failed, party members would have no choice but to safeguard their interests elsewhere.
The meeting was attended by APC elders and ward leaders from the ten wards making up Fagge Local Government, as well as other key stakeholders who expressed concerns over the party’s leadership and future direction.
