By Quazeem Halimot Bukola
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has dismissed allegations by former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso that Governor Abba Yusuf and the ruling party were responsible for the omission of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam-Gwarzo, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list.
The party described the allegation as false, baseless and an attempt to blackmail the APC and its governorship candidate.
The APC State Chairman, Alhaji Umar Haruna-Doguwa, stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kano.
Haruna-Doguwa said the controversy surrounding Abdussalam-Gwarzo’s candidacy originated from an internal crisis within the NDC, insisting that neither the APC nor Governor Yusuf had any involvement in the legal proceedings.
According to him, the case was instituted by members of the NDC against the party itself and not by the APC, its governorship candidate or the Kano State Government.
He maintained that attempts to link the APC and its candidate to the matter were misleading and intended to divert attention from the internal challenges confronting the opposition party.
The APC chairman also distanced the party from the court proceedings, insisting that neither the party nor its governorship candidate sponsored, influenced or facilitated any legal action against Abdussalam-Gwarzo.
He further emphasised that the judiciary remained an independent arm of government and that neither the APC nor its candidate had the authority to influence court proceedings or decisions.
Haruna-Doguwa challenged Kwankwaso to provide credible and verifiable evidence linking the APC or Governor Yusuf to the case, rather than making allegations capable of misleading the public and creating unnecessary political tension.
He described the allegation as an attempt at political blackmail, particularly given that Kwankwaso is the vice-presidential candidate of the NDC.
The APC chairman also reaffirmed that every eligible candidate had a constitutional right to participate in the 2027 general elections in accordance with the law.
He said the party remained committed to democratic principles and welcomed the participation of opposition parties in the electoral process, stressing that it had no reason to undermine any political party or candidate.
Haruna-Doguwa consequently urged the public to disregard attempts to associate the APC and its governorship candidate with the NDC’s internal legal dispute.
He reiterated that the party had no direct or indirect involvement in the court proceedings or any decision concerning Abdussalam-Gwarzo’s candidacy.
