Abuja: A North-West grassroots mobilisation group, APC Daga Titi Zuwa Titi, has described comments credited to former Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano on Sen. Abdulaziz Yari’s appointment as APC Presidential Campaign Council Director-General as evidence of growing anxiety within the opposition.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the group’s National Coordinator, Jaafar Hassan, stated that Kwankwaso’s appeal to Yari indicates that the appointment has unsettled opposition politicians and their ranks. ‘Politicians rarely advise opponents to abandon positions they consider irrelevant. Kwankwaso’s intervention suggests concern about what Sen. Yari’s presence could mean politically for them,’ he said.
Hassan highlighted that the appointment of the former Zamfara governor has altered the opposition’s calculations, particularly in the North-West, where Yari maintains extensive networks and grassroots support. ‘President Bola Tinubu did not appoint Sen. Yari to decorate a campaign list. He appointed an experienced politician capable of organising, mobilising, and building relationships,’ he stated.
The group emphasized that Yari’s experience as a two-term governor, former Nigeria Governors’ Forum chairman, and serving senator has strengthened his capacity to coordinate nationwide campaigns effectively. ‘That is what has made Kwankwaso uncomfortable,’ the group said.
The group also pointed out the irony in Kwankwaso’s criticism of Yari, noting his reliance on an alliance with Peter Obi and the national attention surrounding their ticket politically. ‘Kwankwaso is free to ride on Peter Obi’s national profile. But Yari does not require lectures on political decisions or assistance in building relevance nationally,’ Hassan added.
The group reiterated that Yari enjoys Tinubu’s confidence and the trust of the APC leadership to coordinate the presidential campaign across Nigeria. ‘If Yari were politically inconsequential, Kwankwaso would have ignored his appointment. Instead, he is publicly asking the campaign director-general to resign from his position,’ Hassan noted.
Hassan urged Yari to disregard what it called unsolicited advice from political opponents and focus on delivering the responsibility entrusted to him by Tinubu. ‘Kwankwaso should save his advice for his own campaign. Sen. Yari has an assignment and by God’s grace, he will deliver it.