2027: Kwankwaso knocks APC campaign council, says election choice between oppressors, oppressed

Former Governor of Kano State and vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has criticised the newly constituted All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election.

In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Mr Kwankwaso said the election is an impending battle between the “oppressed Nigerian masses” and political figures who have sustained policies responsible for widespread economic hardship.

Mr Kwankwaso argued that the composition of the campaign council, which includes key figures associated with the current administration, gives citizens a clear preview of the choices ahead in 2027.

“The council brings together many of the same political actors who have supported, defended or participated in the present administration.

“Their coming together raises a fundamental question: what exactly are they asking Nigerians to vote for in 2027, a new beginning, or the continuation of the same system that has brought severe hardship to our people?” Mr Kwankwaso questioned.

The former governor said families are struggling with food inflation and basic costs of living, young Nigerians face diminishing job opportunities, and businesses, farmers, and public services—such as healthcare and education—remain under severe strain due to ongoing insecurity.

“This ruling campaign structure presents another scenario between the oppressors and the oppressed,” Mr Kwankwaso asserted. “We must use it come the 2027 election to reject continued oppression and demand accountable, people-centred governance. If Osun people can do it, so can all other parts of the country.”

Appeal to Abdul’aziz Yari

In a direct message to former Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, who was appointed Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Kwankwaso urged Mr Yari to reconsider taking up the assignment.

Mr Kwankwaso stated that Mr Yari, as a prominent northern leader and former governor, is fully aware of the socioeconomic and security collapse in the North-west and across the federation.

“I particularly appeal to my brother, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, who has accepted to serve as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, to reflect deeply and reconsider accepting this responsibility,” he said.

“As a former governor of Zamfara State and a prominent leader from the North-west, I believe Senator Yari has a clear understanding of the devastating consequences of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, displacement and the destruction of livelihoods in the region and the country at large.

“I therefore will be surprised if in his good conscience, [he] will lead a campaign whose principal objective is to secure the continuation of a government under which many of the people he once governed… remain trapped in these challenges”, Mr Kwankwaso said.

Concerns over neutrality of institutional heads

Mr Kwankwaso also raised concerns over the inclusion of key public finance officials in the partisan campaign council, pointing out the appointment of Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, and Tanimu Kurfi, Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, into the campaign’s financial and fundraising organs.

Highlighting the need for institutional integrity, Mr Kwankwaso questioned how public officials managing national treasury infrastructure could simultaneously serve active political roles without compromising public trust.

“The leadership of critical public institutions demands neutrality, integrity and public confidence,” Mr Kwankwaso maintained. “It is therefore legitimate to ask whether the responsibilities of senior officials entrusted with managing public revenue and national finances can appropriately coexist with senior partisan campaign roles.

“The government and the APC should explain how such arrangements are consistent with institutional neutrality and public trust”, he stated.

Mr Kwankwaso expressed confidence in the electorate, declaring, “Ultimately, no campaign council is more powerful than the Nigerian people.”

Reaction

Responding directly to Mr Kwankwaso’s statement on X, former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad, countered Kwankwaso’s assertion that the upcoming contest would be between “the oppressors and the oppressed.”

​Mr Ahmad stated that Mr Kwankwaso’s criticism of the APC Presidential Campaign Council “does little to advance serious national debate.”

“I respectfully disagree with this characterisation of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. It is fair to scrutinise government and demand better governance, but reducing the 2027 contest to a simplistic battle between oppressors and the oppressed does little to advance serious national debate.

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“The APC’s campaign council should be judged by the policies, programmes and vision it presents to Nigerians, not merely by the political identities of the individuals serving in it and the 2027 election should be a contest of ideas, records, competence and competing visions for Nigeria’s future.

“On Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, we all believe he is experienced enough to make his own judgement about whether to accept a national responsibility. His experience as a former governor and senior political leader should be seen as an asset to the political process, not automatically interpreted as complicity in every challenge confronting the country.

“Nigerians are not passive victims waiting for political actors to tell them what their choices are. They are intelligent citizens capable of examining the records of governments, comparing alternatives and deciding for themselves what direction they want the country to take.

“The 2027 election should therefore be about performance, ideas and the future of Nigeria, not inflammatory labels of ‘oppressors’ and ‘oppressed.’” Let Nigerians decide”, Mr Ahmad stated.