The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hit back at former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, calling him an “insignificant and failed politician.” This response comes after Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), declared that the PDP had become irrelevant in Nigerian politics.
During the inauguration of a newly renovated party office in Katsina State on Saturday, Kwankwaso remarked that his departure, along with that of his supporters, had effectively rendered the PDP “dead.”
In a statement released on Sunday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party dismissed Kwankwaso’s comments, criticizing him for selfishness and poor leadership. Ologunagba argued that Kwankwaso has become politically inconsequential, struggling to maintain control over his party, the NNPP, which currently governs only one state.
The statement read:
“Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is inconsequential in national politics today, struggling to lead a party with influence over just one state. It is unimaginable for a politician with such limited reach to claim that a party with 13 governors, numerous senators, House of Representatives members, and strong local government presence across the country is ‘dead.’”
The PDP further lambasted Kwankwaso for his perceived lack of empathy toward the plight of Nigerians, especially given the economic challenges facing the country. The party highlighted that Kwankwaso’s political achievements were largely accomplished under the PDP’s platform, before his departure.
“At a time when Nigerians are grappling with unprecedented hardship due to the anti-people policies of the APC administration, Kwankwaso’s focus remains his personal ambition of becoming president. It is unfortunate when over 150 million Nigerians have plunged deeper into poverty, with millions losing their livelihoods, that Kwankwaso has chosen to focus on his own self-serving agenda,” the statement continued.
The PDP concluded by stating that they had no intention of further engaging with Kwankwaso, emphasizing that his political relevance, whatever remains of it, was achieved solely during his time with the PDP.
