By David Lawani
The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of shielding President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from criticism while directing his political attacks at the ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The Council said Kwankwaso’s response on Sunday to its earlier criticism had failed to address the substance of its concerns, arguing that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate continued to focus on Atiku and the ADC instead of confronting the Tinubu administration over the challenges facing Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Monday, ADC-PCC Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described Kwankwaso’s response as diversionary, saying it had further raised questions about his political priorities and alleged alignment with the APC and Tinubu.
The statement followed Kwankwaso’s reaction on Sunday to the ADC-PCC’s earlier call on him to stop attacking Atiku and instead direct his attention towards holding the ruling party accountable.
The ADC-PCC maintained that as an opposition politician, Kwankwaso should be challenging the Tinubu administration over what it described as worsening economic hardship, insecurity and declining living standards across the country.
It questioned why Kwankwaso was making Atiku and the ADC the focus of his attacks instead of confronting the APC over the issues affecting millions of Nigerians.
“Why is Senator Kwankwaso making our candidate the issue instead of confronting the ruling APC, whose policies have made life increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians?” the Council asked.
According to the ADC-PCC, Nigerians were more concerned about hunger, insecurity, high fuel prices, the depreciation of the naira and the broader economic hardship than political exchanges between opposition figures.
The Council argued that these issues should be the priority of any politician seeking to present an alternative to the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general election.
It also questioned why Kwankwaso’s political attacks appeared to be directed more frequently at Atiku and the ADC than at the ruling party responsible, in its view, for the country’s current challenges.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ADC cannot and will not be distracted by Senator Kwankwaso,” Ologbondiyan said.
The Council further challenged Kwankwaso to stop using attacks on the ADC to curry political favour with the ruling party, urging him to openly align with the APC if he genuinely shared its political agenda.
It described the ADC as a strong and increasingly accepted political platform and said it remained focused on mobilising Nigerians around what it called a credible alternative to APC governance.
The ADC-PCC reaffirmed its commitment to remaining united and focused on its 2027 campaign, insisting that it would not be distracted by attacks from other opposition politicians.
It also challenged Kwankwaso to redirect his attention to the Tinubu administration and demonstrate that his priority was confronting the government over the challenges facing Nigerians.
