A North-West grassroots mobilisation group, APC Daga Titi Zuwa Titi, has described former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso’s comments on the appointment of Abdulaziz Yari as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council as a sign of growing concern within the opposition camp.
The group’s National Coordinator, Jaafar Hassan, made the assertion in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.
Hassan was reacting to Kwankwaso’s reported appeal to Yari to reconsider his role in the APC campaign council, saying the intervention suggested that the former Zamfara governor’s appointment had unsettled opposition politicians.
Group defends Yari’s appointment
Hassan argued that politicians would rarely advise an opponent to withdraw from a position they considered insignificant.
He said Yari’s appointment had changed political calculations, particularly in the North-West, where the former Zamfara governor is said to have extensive political networks and grassroots connections.
According to the group, President Bola Tinubu selected Yari because of his political experience and capacity to mobilise support ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Hassan noted that Yari served two terms as Zamfara governor, previously chaired the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and currently serves as a senator.
He said those experiences positioned Yari to play a significant role in coordinating the APC’s nationwide campaign.
Group dismisses Kwankwaso’s criticism
The organisation described Kwankwaso’s criticism of Yari as ironic, given the former Kano governor’s political alliance with Peter Obi and the attention surrounding their opposition campaign.
Hassan maintained that Yari did not need advice from political opponents on how to build his national political relevance.
He said the former Zamfara governor enjoys the confidence of President Tinubu and the APC leadership and had been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the party’s presidential campaign.
The group argued that Kwankwaso’s public comments about Yari indicated that the appointment was politically significant.
“If Yari were politically inconsequential, Kwankwaso would have ignored his appointment,” Hassan said.
Yari urged to remain focused
Hassan advised Yari to disregard what the group described as unsolicited counsel from political opponents and concentrate on the responsibility assigned to him by President Tinubu.
He expressed confidence that the former Zamfara governor would deliver on his mandate as APC Presidential Campaign Council Director-General.
