APC Explains Why Atiku defeated Tinubu in Kaduna in 2023
- The Kaduna APC Publicity Secretary linked the party's poor 2023 election showing to voter anger over the former governor's policies
- The APC spokesman spoke at a briefing on preparations to receive President Tinubu in Kaduna for the 2027 campaign flag-off on October 24, 2026
- Governor Uba Sani has reportedly pledged two million votes for Tinubu's re-election from Kaduna State
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Kaduna State - The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State has publicly blamed its poor showing in the 2023 general election on the governing record of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Mohammed Sani Haruna, the state's APC Publicity Secretary, accused El-Rufai of policies that turned voters against the party.
Source: Twitter
He said the former governor alienated residents through mass demolitions of homes and markets, large-scale worker sackings, and policies that widened religious and ethnic divisions across the state.
As reported by Daily Trust, he told journalists during a briefing on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, that the 2023 results amounted to a public verdict on El-Rufai's time in office.
"Most elections are always a referendum on leadership at a particular time in history. So, the election in Kaduna State in 2023 was a referendum on the governing style of the former governor of Kaduna State," Haruna said.
He singled out Southern Kaduna as a region where discontent ran particularly deep, noting that communities there had historically backed opposition parties and remained resistant during the El-Rufai years.
Uba Sani's approach cited as turnaround.
Haruna argued that the political climate in Kaduna has shifted significantly since Governor Uba Sani took office, crediting the change to an inclusive style of leadership that cuts across ethnic, religious and socioeconomic lines.
He claimed the APC now holds all elective positions in the state, a position he attributed directly to Sani's ability to bring previously estranged groups back into the party's fold.
The briefing was held to outline preparations for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's visit to Kaduna on October 24, 2026, where he is expected to officially flag off the APC's 2027 presidential campaign.
Haruna said hundreds of thousands of supporters would be mobilised to receive the president, and that a dedicated media centre had been set up to keep journalists informed as the event approaches.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, the APC spokesman said Governor Sani had given Tinubu a personal assurance that Kaduna would deliver two million votes for his re-election bid.
"Today, we assure Mr President and the entire APC family that Kaduna State will lead the way in securing his re-election on May 29, 2027," Haruna said.
He brushed aside any suggestion that the opposition could replicate its 2023 gains, insisting that the ruling party's current grip on elective offices across the state made any such prospect unlikely.
Source: UGC
APC campaign DG mentions number of states Tinubu will win
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that APC Presidential Campaign Council DG Abdulaziz Yari met President Tinubu at the State House and revealed a timetable for state visits ahead of the 2027 election.
Yari dismissed Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar as threats, questioning whether either candidate could claim a single state outside their region.
The former Zamfara governor cited Buhari's 2011 loss to argue that regional dominance alone cannot secure a presidential victory.
Source: Legit.ng
