- ‘Our opponents chose to fight propaganda battle’
From AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna, Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan, Osagie Otabor, Benin, Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja, Fanen Ihyongo, Kano, and Timilehin Babatope
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to celebrate its victory at the by-elections held on Saturday, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, yesterday took a swipe at his predecessor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
He declared that elections were not won on social media.
Sani, at the party’s stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna, reminded the opposition that there were no polling units on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, a jab thrown at El-Rufai who has remained vocal on social media platforms since exiting the APC.
According to the Governor, APC members should not be carried away by social media propaganda, adding that while the opposition dwelt on “Twitter battles and Facebook noise,” the ruling party focused on grassroots mobilisation, inclusivity, and delivering good governance, which gave the party victory at the polls.
“There is no ballot box on Twitter. There is no ballot box on Instagram or Facebook. Elections are won at the grassroots, not on social media,” the Governor said to loud applause from the party faithful.
Sani said: “Our opponents chose to fight the propaganda battle, but we chose to fight the political battle. They lost because the people know who is working for them. We will not waste our time on social media noise-making,” he said.
He told party leaders and stakeholders that Saturday’s victory was historic, particularly in areas where the APC had never won since 1999, ascribing the feat to his administration’s deliberate focus on economic development, rural empowerment, and agriculture.
“Since 1999, some communities have never voted for our party. But today, they stood with us because they saw inclusivity in action. We made a pledge to defend everyone, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or party affiliation- and we kept it,” he added.
The Governor also urged party executives not to abandon the APC manifesto, warning that the only way to guarantee electoral success in 2027 was to remain connected to the people.
The APC State Chairman, Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada (rtd.) expressed confidence that with unity, the party would consolidate power in 2027.
“This is not the time for blame games but for collective responsibility. No aspiration is too big to be sacrificed for the unity, peace, and progress of our party. Together, we can restore the confidence of the people and return APC to winning ways,” he said.
