Kano state chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Abbas has declared that the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, is not a member of the party.
This assertion came in response to Ata’s recent remarks during a BBC Hausa interview, where he criticized Abbas’s leadership and threatened to leave the APC if Abbas or similar figures were reinstated as the party’s chairman in the state.
Ata, a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, attributed the APC’s loss in the 2023 governorship elections to controversial statements made by Abbas, suggesting that such utterances led to divine retribution against the party.
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He warned that reinstating Abbas could result in further losses for the APC in future elections.
In a counterstatement, Abbas accused Ata of engaging in anti-party activities during the 2023 elections, noting that the APC secured a third-place finish only in Ata’s local government area.
Abbas expressed confusion over Ata’s ministerial appointment, stating that the party had informed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu about Ata’s alleged disloyalty.
This internal conflict highlights the challenges facing the APC in Kano State, as party leaders engage in public disputes that could impact the party’s cohesion and performance in upcoming elections.