Ganduje Describes PDP as ‘Defunct’ Party at Abuja Conference

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a “defunct” political party.

The Press Nigeria reports that Ganduje made the remark on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the annual conference of the Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria.

The former Kano State governor made the comment while acknowledging former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who was the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.

“My big brother, the former governor of Delta State and a former vice-presidential candidate of the defunct party, PDP,” Ganduje said.

Speaking on nation-building, Ganduje urged Nigerians to believe in their country and embrace national unity, warning that the country’s diversity was increasingly being treated as a liability rather than an asset.

“On the issue of nation-building, we have to believe in our nation. Do we actually believe in our nation, Nigeria? Do we actually believe that our diversity is an asset and not a liability? The way we are moving, our diversity is becoming a liability,” he said.

Ganduje also argued that British colonial authorities amalgamated the various peoples and territories that make up Nigeria primarily to advance Britain’s economic interests.

According to him, the colonial authorities encountered existing systems of governance but brought the different groups together largely to facilitate the production of raw materials for British industries.

“And in order to promote protection in their own country, they decided to put us together so that we can work and produce raw materials for their own industrial development. That was their primary objective and not an objective that we should come together and become a stronger country,” he stated.

The former APC chairman, however, commended Nigeria’s First Republic politicians for fostering nationalism and leading the struggle for independence through political organisation.

He said their efforts helped establish political parties and secure independence without the country having to resort to armed struggle, unlike some other nations.

“We need to thank our First Republic politicians who developed a sense of nationalism in order to get independence, form political parties, and they succeeded in getting our independence.

“We are so lucky that we didn’t carry arms like other nations to get independence,” Ganduje added.