The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, on Friday, made fun of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its failure to attract aspirants for the 8 November 2025 Anambra State governorship election.
Mr Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State, stated that the inability of the PDP to attract many aspirants for the upcoming election is a sign of its decline.
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He said this when he received a coalition of support groups across northern Nigeria in Abuja.
Members of the groupst previously backed Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid.
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“I saw one clip that is trending. Soon, we will have elections in Anambra State. Each political party plans to get its candidates for the contest in the governorship election. But I have seen that PDP has extended its screening deadline because nobody has shown up for the contest. The extension has also expired and nobody has shown up for the contest. So I don’t need to tell you, it is a crumbling party,” he said.
The PDP had initially scheduled the sale of nomination forms between 24 February and 5 March. It set 7 March as the deadline for submission of the forms.
The PDP governorship primary in Anambra State is on 5 April. This would be followed by an appeal committee sitting on 8 April.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the PDP extended the deadline specifically because aspirants refused to purchase the form.
Sources told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday that many aspirants rescinded their decision to buy forms because of the leadership crisis ravaging the party, particularly at the national level.
APC is greatest beneficiary of PDP crisis
Mr Ganduje said the APC is the biggest beneficiary of the PDP’s internal crisis, which has led to a leadership tussle between factions loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike and Atiku, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
“We are the greatest beneficiary of the crumbling party,” he said.
The APC national chairman welcomed members of the support groups to the party and assured that there would be no discrimination against them.
“So, we welcome you, honestly. We welcome you to a party with a progressive ideology, to a party that believes in the rule of law, to the party that believes in internal democracy, to the party that believes in engagement, and to the party that says no discrimination.
“We are the most peaceful party in Nigeria, the most peaceful party in Africa because we believe in internal democracy,” he said.
Grand reception for defectors
Mr Ganduje also announced plans to host a formal reception for the defectors in Abuja after the fasting period.
He said the event is expected to be attended by President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Abass Tajudeen.
“You are welcome to our party. We are formally receiving you now. But as I have been informed, after the fasting period, all your members will gather here in Abuja, under the leadership of the Distinguished Senator Barau, so that we invite Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the vice president himself, where we will have the senate president and the Right Honorable Speaker, to formally receive all your members to register the death, the collapse, the disappearance of the PDP in Nigeria, not only in the northern part of this country,” the national chairman said.
Defection of coalition groups, “a big fish for APC”
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who was also present at the event, described the defection as a major political win for the ruling party in northern Nigeria.
“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 said.
Mr Jibrin, who represents Kano North Senatorial District, reassured the defectors that there would be no discrimination against them and that every new member has the same rights and opportunities as long-standing party members.
“It is good that you are teaming up with Mr President so that he will succeed in his effort to change our development trajectory and make this country a land of El Dorado. This is a very good development. Today, we are happy you are joining the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu family.
“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.
The deputy senate president also commended Mr Ganduje for leading the APC to victories in various off-season elections, describing him as a leader with “capacity and competence.”
“He has shown capacity. He has shown that he is capable. So we are proud of you. And we thank you for making us proud, we thank you for making Kano state proud, we thank you for making North-west proud, we thank you for making Nigeria proud because you are someone who is at home everywhere,” he said.
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Why we left Atiku Abubakar
The coalition’s leader, Abubakar Malami, cited the economic policies of President Tinubu and improvements in security in various northern states as key reasons for their move.
“We played a key role in the votes the former vice president polled in the last presidential election. We supported Alhaji Atiku in our quest to address the challenges facing our region, especially the terrorist activities of bandits, which are clogging our people’s wheel to economic activities. Farming, the mainstay of our people, was a no-go area. Our farmlands were turned into kidnappers’ dens.
“However, to the glory of Almighty God, 22 months into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure, a fresh air of peace and hope permeates the 19 northern states. The crashing prices of food items cannot be divorced from the relative peace enjoyed in our region,” he said.
He also referenced the establishment of the North-west Development Commission and the North-central Development Commission for the development of states within the region as another reason for joining the APC.
“To tackle the challenges facing our region, the president has established the North-west Development Commission (NWDC) following a bill sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin. This is the game changer. Mr President has also established the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
“Another thing that has endeared the President Tinubu-led APC government to us is the Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in North-west (BIARN), a brainchild of the deputy president of the Senate. We read in the national dailies that over 500 young farmers millionaires will be created under this initiative in the North-west.
“This is what has been lacking in our region. Diversification is the way to go. If this can be replicated in the North-east and North-central geopolitical zones, our country will attain food security, and our unemployed youth will be engaged. We are optimistic that our country is on the path to prosperity,” he said.
