Political Firestorm: APC Mocks Opposition After Kwankwaso's Bold Atiku Challenge for 2027
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has sharply criticized opposition leaders following NDC's Rabiu Kwankwaso's call for ADC's Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. APC's Felix Morka accused them of hypocrisy and "horse-trading," stating such moves betray the democratic process. This incident highlights simmering political tensions ahead of the next Nigerian general elections.
The political landscape in Nigeria is currently ablaze with controversy following a stern rebuke from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) towards opposition candidates. This sharp reaction comes in the wake of a recent plea made by Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), who publicly urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to step down from the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.
During a recent gathering at his Abuja residence, where he met with members of the Fulani Farmers Association, Kwankwaso made headlines by explicitly calling on Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest. In a controversial move, Kwankwaso further assured Atiku that the NDC would "take care" of him should their party emerge victorious in the 2027 polls. This statement has since fueled significant debate and criticism across the political spectrum.
Responding vehemently to Kwankwaso's remarks, Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, took to the social media platform X on Saturday to express the ruling party's condemnation. Morka asserted that Kwankwaso’s comments had unequivocally unveiled the profound hypocrisy inherent among the leaders of the opposition parties. He did not mince words, stating emphatically, “Kwankwaso to Atiku: Step down for us … we will take care of you if we win the presidency … At last, the veil comes off … behold the whited sepulchre … they pretend to be saints on the outside but are filled with the stench of corruption and malignant hypocrisy on the inside … horse trading with the presidency they do not have, and will not have, by the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, come 2027 …”
Morka’s strong statement underscores the APC’s position that such political maneuvering, involving offers of personal care in exchange for withdrawing from a presidential race, represents a cynical form of horse-trading. The ruling party argues that these actions expose a deep-seated corruption and a lack of genuine commitment to democratic principles among the opposition. The APC maintains that the ultimate decision of who governs Nigeria in 2027 rests solely with the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, thereby dismissing any notion of a pre-election power-sharing arrangement or deal-making among candidates. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and strategic realignments anticipated as Nigeria gears up for its next general elections.