A former Kano State House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada, has criticised Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over his alleged moves to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Tudunwada, who contested in the 2023 elections, said the former governor of Kano State had shown that he was uncomfortable operating in political environments where he was treated as an equal.
In a statement on Friday, the ADC chieftain said he had long predicted Kwankwaso’s romance with the APC, despite his previous condemnations of the party.
“A few months ago, I predicted that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso would eventually gravitate towards the APC. Despite that, my boss took the bold step of inviting him to the African Democratic Congress, recognising his political value,” Tudunwada said.
He described Kwankwaso as a politician who preferred dominance to collaboration.
“Based on my careful analysis of Kwankwaso’s political trajectory, I’ve come to a clear conclusion: he is rarely comfortable operating as a peer among equals. He prefers environments where he alone gives instructions and is revered as the supreme political leader,” he added.
Tudunwada accused Kwankwaso of double standards for moving towards a party he once denounced.
“Now, the signs are unmistakable, Kwankwaso is on the verge of joining the APC, a party he once condemned alongside the PDP as anti-masses and as having failed Nigerians. If he truly sees himself as a populist, then he should be ashamed of this,” he said.
He further claimed that Kwankwaso’s refusal to consider the ADC was not based on ideology but because of his rivalry with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“Kwankwaso’s reluctance to consider the ADC isn’t because of ideology or the party’s structure. It’s because of one man: Atiku Abubakar. And interestingly, Atiku has never openly harboured any grudge against him,” Tudunwada stated.
According to him, Atiku’s only ‘offense’ was his consistent presidential ambition, which Kwankwaso perceived as a threat.
“But in terms of political track record, national reach and leadership capacity, Kwankwaso simply does not measure up to Atiku,” he said.
Tudunwada also urged Nigerians to move beyond ethnic sentiments in the search for leadership.
“Nigeria is long past the point of entertaining tribal sentiments in its quest for leadership. What the nation needs now is a true nationalist who will uphold justice and fairness regardless of religion or ethnicity,” he said.