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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, on Tuesday dismissed the growing online uproar against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid as incapable of determining the outcome of the ballot.
Illiyasu Kwankwaso who hosted newsmen in Kaduna before departing the green city after last weekend APC Presidential Campaign kick off declared that the battle for the 2027 presidency cannot be won on social media.
The soft spoken politician maintained that the ultimate verdict would come from voters at polling units, not from hashtags, trending topics or online campaigns.
Kwankwaso said the scale of the mobilisation at the Kaduna rally had demonstrated that the political contest extended far beyond the digital space, insisting that the North-West had made its position known.
The APC chieftain stated that the opposition’s attempt to build momentum through social-media narratives would have little impact if it could not be translated into genuine grassroots support and votes on election day.
According to him, political parties seeking to defeat Tinubu must confront the reality of organising voters, mobilising supporters and convincing Nigerians at the polling units, adding that the ruling party is already ahead.
Kwankwaso therefore challenged the opposition to confront what he described as the substance of Tinubu’s administration rather than relying principally on propaganda to undermine the President.
He said the administration’s policies and development agenda would remain part of the issues voters would assess when deciding who should occupy the Presidency after the 2027 election.
Kwankwaso said the Kaduna rally had gone beyond a routine party gathering, describing it as a political signal that should not be dismissed because of contrary narratives circulating online.
He said the turnout represented a demonstration of commitment by supporters who, unlike virtual campaigners, would ultimately have the opportunity to express their preference through the ballot.
He urged political stakeholders to move the debate away from what he described as narrow political interests and focus on the issues that matter to Nigerians, including development, national cohesion and equitable distribution of resources.
He said the APC would continue taking its message to the grassroots, where the real contest for votes would be decided.
