The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Abdullahi Abbas, has criticized the appointment of Yusuf Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, claiming Ata is not a member of the ruling party.
Abbas accused the minister of working against the APC during the 2023 general elections, stating that party leaders in the state were not consulted before President Bola Tinubu appointed Ata to his ministerial position.
“We, the original members of APC, don’t know him. He’s not a member of the party at any level in the state,” Abbas said during an interview with the BBC on Monday.
Ata Threatens to Leave APC Over Abbas’s Possible Re-election
Ata had earlier criticized Abbas and blamed him for the APC’s defeat in the 2023 Kano State governorship election. While speaking to party stakeholders in Fagge Local Government Area over the weekend, Ata warned that he and his supporters would leave the APC if Abbas were re-elected as state chairman.
“We are making it clear to everyone: if they retain them, we will leave, and the party will surely lose again,” Ata declared.
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He further emphasized his opposition to Abbas, saying, “We are not with such people, and no matter what happens, we will not align with them. They send us messages, and we respond accordingly.
“We were raised with good morals; we know who God is, we respect our scholars and elders, and we will not compromise our values. If they insist on bringing them back, we will leave the party, and I swear, the party will fall again,” Ata added.
Abbas Dismisses Ata’s Threats, Eyes 2027 Governorship Race
Reacting to Ata’s statements, Abbas dismissed the minister’s threats as insignificant and made it clear that he was not interested in running for the APC chairmanship again. Instead, he revealed his intention to contest for the governorship seat in Kano in 2027.
“My ambition is to become governor of the state, not state chairman of the party again,” Abbas said.
He also revealed that APC leaders in Kano had already informed President Tinubu about their concerns regarding Ata’s appointment.
“We weren’t consulted before he was appointed as minister by President Bola Tinubu. And we have informed the president that he worked against the party during the last election,” Abbas stated.