By-election results show exit of appointees from Kaduna govt insignificant – Gov’s spokesman

The defection of some high-profile politicians from Governor Uba Sani’s administration has made headlines in recent times. But in this interview, the governor’s chief press secretary, Malam Ibraheem Musa, said the results of Saturday’s by-election, which delivered victory to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), proved the exits have not affected the party’s political fortunes. […]

The defection of some high-profile politicians from Governor Uba Sani’s administration has made headlines in recent times. But in this interview, the governor’s chief press secretary, Malam Ibraheem Musa, said the results of Saturday’s by-election, which delivered victory to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), proved the exits have not affected the party’s political fortunes. Excerpts:

 

 

Recently, the Kaduna State Government experienced a wave of resignations of senior government officials. What must have been responsible for that?

The wave of resignations that you are talking about exists only in your imagination. Yes, a few people have left the government recently. But does that translate into, to use your words, “a wave of resignations”?

The people who left didn’t even leave with a multitude. They left the government as they came — alone.

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People are alleging that those who resigned left in protest because they were sidelined in the affairs of government, despite the roles they played in the election of Senator Uba Sani as Governor in 2023. How correct is this allegation?

I think this question will be better answered by those who resigned. As far as I’m concerned, none of them has come out publicly to say he left the government because he was sidelined.

In fact, some resignation letters that went viral on social media thanked Governor Uba Sani for giving them the opportunity to serve in his government. So, I don’t know where you got this story of resignation because of being sidelined.

Some political analysts are saying that the resignations may affect the electoral chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 because those who resigned are political heavyweights.

What you are talking about is in the realm of conjecture. Let’s deal with the facts as they are presently. Last Saturday, there were by-elections at Chikun-Kajuru Federal Constituency and Zaria-Kewaye and Basawa State Constituencies. You are a journalist here in Kaduna; let me ask you: did the exit of these political heavyweights, as you called them, affect the winning trajectory of the APC? Our great party won every ward in all the constituencies during the by-election. That should tell you what 2027 will look like.

But off-season elections may not be a good barometer to measure what 2027 will look like. Like they say, a week is a long time in politics. Anything can change.

Indeed, anything can change. I can assure you that the winning streak of the APC will change from a few constituencies to the entire state, inshaa Allah.

Last Saturday’s election was not just a by-election; it was a litmus test of what will come in 2027, a sort of bellwether if you like.

But some analysts are saying that the ruling APC has been rattled by the emergence of opposition parties like the SDP and ADC…

Those armchair analysts have been proven wrong by the by-election results. The difference between the APC and the opposition parties has been made clear through the number of votes we defeated them with. My advice to you is not to listen to any analyst. Look at the figures! Like our governor said, there are no polling units on social media. The people are on the ground, and we are with them. So, as for 2027, no shaking!