From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) said it has uncovered plans by the Kano State-led New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), to mobilise persons to Abuja to protest the continuous stay in office by Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the party’s National Chairman.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the National Chairman on Civil Society and Support Group, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, the party revealed that the Kano State government hired protesters from the street, mostly Kwankwasiyya members, some of whom are from the North-Central zone, to demand for the National Chairman’s resignation. Ogenyi further claimed that the protest was coordinated by the Chief Press Secretary to the Kano State Governor, Sanusi Bature, who promised the governor that he has the antidote to remove Ganduje from office.
He further claimed that some of the protesters, who were shortchanged in the process of sharing the largesse given by the Kano State government exposed the brains behind the protest. They were promised N50,000 each but were later given N10,000 each by the organizers. The Special Adviser to Ganduje also revealed that; “some of the hired protesters, who came on Thursday in the disguise of North-Central APC stakeholders, have already been identified as sponsored elements.
“We are the true APC stakeholders in the North Central. You witnessed the leaders like former Senate President, Ameh Ebute, Jack Tilley Gyado, Ambassador Adadu Eachi, Nentanwe Goshwe, the 2023 APC Plateau State, governorship candidate, Salihu Ali zaga, former Commissioner in Nasarawa State, among several others too numerous to mention on print.
While calling on security agents to be vigilant in order to ensure security of lives and property, the APC chieftain said: “Some of the hired protesters also forgot that they were dressed in kwankwasiyya T-shirts and caps during the protest to the APC national secretariat, yet claimed to be members of the APC. What a dangerous move to scuttle the peace of our party?” The statement, however, described the development as unfortunate and desperation taken too far, calling on Nigerians especially lovers of democracy to come out in defence of it.