“I am not afraid of anybody. I am saying the truth. Those around Tinubu in Kaduna want him to fail, and they are not telling him the truth.”
Former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, has accused some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State of working against the political interests of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Mr Zailani said those currently presenting themselves as loyalists of the president in Kaduna are “deceiving” him, because they allegedly lack the political structure and grassroots support needed to secure victory for him in the state.
The former speaker made the remarks while addressing his supporters in Hausa during an Eid-el-Kabir gathering in Kaduna, in a video seen by PREMIUM TIMES.
The meeting was his first major public appearance after losing in the APC senatorial primaries.
Mr Zailani contested for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District ticket but came third behind former senator Shehu Sani and activist Yerima Shettima.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that Mr Sani polled the highest number of votes, while Mr Shettima came second and Mr Zailani finished third.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Zailani alleged that the APC primaries in Kaduna were manipulated in favour of candidates who, according to him, lack electoral value and cannot mobilise votes for President Tinubu in 2027.
“We thought they would conduct a free and fair primary election, but they did not,” Mr Zailani said.
“I am not afraid of anybody. I am saying the truth. Those around Tinubu in Kaduna want him to fail, and they are not telling him the truth.”
The former speaker insisted that he remains one of President Tinubu’s strongest loyalists in Kaduna, but warned that the party leadership risks weakening the APC ahead of the next general election.
“Allow me to say it as it is,” he continued.
“We have written petitions to both the APC national and state leadership to express our concerns. What I am saying is the truth. They are deceiving Tinubu in Kaduna.
“They are surrounding him with people who cannot win votes for him. We know them. What they are doing will not end well.”
Mr Zailani’s comments added to the growing signs of internal divisions within the Kaduna APC following the party’s primaries marked by protests and allegations of irregularities from several aspirants.
In recent weeks, PREMIUM TIMES reported that some APC stakeholders accused party leaders of imposing candidates and sidelining loyal members during the primaries.
The tensions are seen by political observers as part of the broader power struggle within the Kaduna APC following the exit of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai from the centre of the state’s political structure and the consolidation of Governor Uba Sani’s influence over the party machinery.
Although Mr Zailani did not directly mention Governor Sani in his remarks, his comments appeared targeted at the current leadership of the party in the state.
Referencing the legal ordeals of former Governor El-Rufai, Mr Zailani warned that political leaders who act unjustly would eventually face consequences.
“God will not wait until judgement day before punishing people. He can deal with them immediately,” he said.
“Look at Nasir El-Rufai. See where he is today. He is already paying the price.”
Mr El-Rufai has remained a controversial figure in Kaduna politics since leaving office, with his relationship with some former allies within the APC reportedly deteriorating over political control and succession battles in the state.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the APC spokesperson in Kaduna were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone line did not connect as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile a party chieftain, Abubakar Mamadi, called on APC members and supporters to ignore Mr Zailani’s comments on President Tinubu and success of APC in the state in the coming elections.
“He is suffering from the trauma of defeat, he is a nobody, he has served his time and he cannot do anything” Mr Mamadi said ina video.
Mr Zailani currently represents Igabi Constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
