The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fired back at former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, labeling him as a “failed and insignificant politician.”
The criticism follows Kwankwaso’s recent claim that the PDP is no longer relevant in Nigeria.
Kwankwaso made the comments on Saturday during the inauguration of a newly renovated NNPP party office in Katsina State. He remarked that he and his supporters had left the PDP because it is “dead.”
“I wish to remind you that PDP is dead because we left the party. Since they have gone out of the line, we decided to check out,” Kwankwaso said.
In a swift rebuttal on Sunday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, issued a statement dismissing Kwankwaso’s comments as inconsequential and indicative of his political irrelevance.
“Our reaction to the statement credited to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is that he is very inconsequential in the Nigerian national politics today judging from the fact that he is struggling to lead a party called NNPP, which is also struggling to control only one state,” Ologunagba said.
The PDP further pointed out that it remains a major political force in Nigeria, with 13 governors, numerous senators, members of the House of Representatives, and strong representation across the country, which, they argued, makes Kwankwaso’s remarks baseless.
“It is unfathomable to imagine that a failed and inconsequential politician with only one state would claim that a party that has 13 governors, many Senators, many members of the House of Representatives, several States Assembly control and strong presence in all the local government areas and wards across the country is dead,” the statement added.
The PDP also criticized Kwankwaso for what it described as his extreme selfishness and insensitivity, particularly in light of the economic hardship currently faced by Nigerians. The party noted that Kwankwaso’s political success had been largely built on the PDP platform.
“It is unfortunate that at this time when the PDP and patriotic Nigerians are speaking out against the excruciating hardship in the country occasioned by the anti-people policies of the APC administration, Senator Kwankwaso is focused solely on his ambitions,” the statement continued.
“When over 150 million Nigerians have sunk deeper into poverty… the only thing that occupies Senator Kwankwaso’s mind is his self-centred pipe dream of becoming President. It is very unfortunate.”
The PDP emphasized that it had no intention of engaging further with Kwankwaso on what it described as his “display of self-centeredness and insensitivity,” but noted that whatever political relevance Kwankwaso had achieved was due to his time with the PDP.