APC National Chairman Ganduje claims opposition Parties crumbling at fantastic speed

APC National Chairman Ganduje claims opposition Parties crumbling at fantastic speed

Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), declared on Friday that the opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), are “dying at a fantastic rate.”

His comments came as he and Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, welcomed supporters from 2023 Atiku support groups from 19 Northern States into the APC at a ceremony in Abuja.

These groups, which had initially supported Alhaji Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 presidential election, officially defected to the ruling party, handing over their certificates of recognition to Ganduje.

Atiku, the former Vice President under Olusegun Obasanjo, was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, where he faced off against APC’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who emerged victorious.

The Coalition of Atiku Support Groups in the 19 Northern States announced their decision to join the APC, signaling a significant shift in political allegiance.

While addressing the newly joined supporters, Ganduje proudly boasted about the decline of opposition parties, particularly highlighting the PDP’s struggles.

He pointed to the upcoming governorship election in Anambra State, where the PDP has yet to field any candidates for screening.

According to Ganduje, the opposition party is struggling so much that it has extended the deadline for candidate screening, further underscoring the party’s disarray.

Ganduje’s remarks were accompanied by a strong message of unity within the APC. He declared that the ruling party was actively “harvesting” members from opposition groups as they continued to grow stronger ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The defection ceremony was attended by five representatives from each of the 19 Northern States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who pledged their commitment to working for the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term bid in 2027.

The Coordinator of the Coalition, Hon. Abubakar Malami, shared that the groups now joining the APC represent a broad spectrum of Nigerian society, including women, youth, students, traders, academics, and farmers from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.

This diverse coalition, according to Malami, would play a pivotal role in supporting the APC’s vision and ensuring the success of President Tinubu in the next general election.

“In the 2023 general election build-up, we mobilised our members across the nooks and crannies of the 19 Northern States and the FCT to campaign for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.”

Earlier in his speech, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, described their joining the party as the best thing as the nation was gradually moving towards the election year, adding that they would have equal opportunities like old members of the APC.

He described the development as a “big catch for the APC.

Barau said: “It’s a big catch. We are making a big catch today at our party. Mr. President is a very good man.

“He’s doing his best to reposition Nigeria so it will be turned into a land of prosperity. And it’s good that you understood that and have come to acknowledge what Mr. President is doing.”

He urged them to team up with Mr President in order to succeed in his effort to change the development trajectory of the nation.

“You are joining the APC family because it’s a family that cherishes hard work. And for us, we do not discriminate.

“Whoever comes into the party today has the same privileges, the same latitude to operate like someone who has stayed for years.

“The only difference is your hard work. What have you been able to do at the party? So if you do better, if you do well, you will even be recognised more than someone who has been around since the party’s inception,” he said.