PDP: Atiku’s Kano crowd shows Buhari has lost the north-west

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) says the Kano mammoth crowd that welcomed Atiku Abubakar its presidential candidate on Sunday is evidence that President Muhammadu Buhari has lost support in the north-west.

Kano is believed to be a stronghold of Buhari where he secured his highest number of 1.9 million votes in 2015 election.

The governor, Abubakar Ganjude, had promised Buhari 5 million votes in Kano.

In a statement on Monday, the PDP campaign organisation said the crowd that embraced Atiku in Kano has finally awakened Buhari — who is seeking reelection under the All Progressives Congress (APC) — to the stark reality that he has lost it all in the state.

“The spontaneous jubilation by Nigerians across the entire Kano state in receiving Atiku Abubakar, reinforces their rejection of President Buhari for impoverishing the people with his incompetence as well as endorsing corruption in the state,” the statement read.

“The people of Kano state are in alignment with other states of the federation, particularly in the north, in rejecting President Buhari for his manifest aloofness and insensitivity to the welfare of the poor, while his close relations and cabal at his Presidency live in arrogant opulence.

“President Buhari’s rejection is also a clear statement by the people of Kano State, that his public approval of the corruption activities of Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who was recently exposed in series of video allegedly collecting bribe in foreign currency from contractors, is unwelcomed.

“That President Buhari could publicly raise the hand of Governor Ganduje at a recent rally was an unpardonable affront to the people of Kano, who have a long history of standing against corruption.”

“Also, the surging of the people of Kano in receiving Atiku Abubakar is a further demonstration of their anger against President Buhari’s panicky measure of importing mercenaries from Niger Republic into the state to populate his recent campaign rally, instead of addressing issues.”

Describing Atiku’s outing as a soaring acceptance by the people, the organisation said the north-west states of Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara and Katsina have rejected Buhari.

The north-wast has the highest number of registered voters in the country.

It alleged that this explains why the APC and the presidency are desperate to manipulate and rig the February 16 presidential election.