Kwankwaso must provide evidence against Abba Yusuf, Kano APC campaign office says

The Kano State APC Presidential/Gubernatorial Campaign Office has challenged former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, to provide verifiable evidence to support his allegations that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf interfered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to frustrate the recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.

The campaign office also dismissed Kwankwaso’s claim that Governor Yusuf regrets his decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the allegations as claims that should be substantiated with evidence rather than political assumptions.

In a press statement issued on Monday and signed by its Campaign Spokesperson II, Hon. Muhammad Sanusi Sa’id Kiru, popularly known as Majiɗaɗin Kiru, the APC campaign office recalled the 2019 governorship election, when Yusuf’s candidature under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faced a similar legal challenge.

According to the statement, a Federal High Court ruling on March 4, 2019, affected Yusuf’s candidature, while the Court of Appeal granted a stay of execution on March 8, barely a day before the governorship election.

The campaign office questioned why a similar electoral challenge, which occurred when Kwankwaso and Yusuf belonged to the same political camp, should now be attributed to the Governor simply because their political affiliations have changed.

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It further argued that the current nomination and clearance controversies extend beyond Kano State, citing INEC’s disclosure that it received 69 governorship petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states, approving 41 and rejecting 28.

The statement noted that the disputes had affected candidates of different political parties in other states, including Ogun and Gombe, questioning whether those developments could also be attributed to Governor Yusuf.

On the NDC controversy in Kano, the APC campaign office said INEC’s updated governorship list of October 31, 2026, indicated a court-order restriction affecting the party’s ticket.

It consequently challenged Kwankwaso to establish a verifiable connection between Governor Yusuf and the restriction, insisting that political disagreements and allegations of activities in Abuja were insufficient to establish wrongdoing.

The campaign office also rejected the former governor’s assertion that Yusuf regrets joining the APC, maintaining that the Governor had publicly explained his decision in terms of political cooperation, stability and the developmental interests of Kano State.

While acknowledging Kwankwaso’s right to disagree with the Governor’s political decision, the statement maintained that disagreement alone could not establish Yusuf’s personal feelings or intentions.

It further stressed that political parties have the right to field qualified candidates in accordance with the law, while aggrieved candidates are equally entitled to seek judicial redress.

The APC campaign office reaffirmed its support for INEC’s independence, respect for lawful court orders and transparent resolution of outstanding nomination disputes, irrespective of the political parties involved.

It urged Kwankwaso to provide concrete evidence to substantiate his allegations, stressing that political differences must not be substituted for proof of wrongdoing.