The newly-appointed Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, has threatened to dump All Progressives Congress, APC, if the party retained Abdullahi Abbas as the chairman of Kano chapter.

Mr Ata was sworn in as minister on November 4, 2014 alongside Idi Maiha (Minister of Livestock Development); Suwaiba Ahmad (Minister of State, Education); and Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Minister of State, Foreign Affairs).

Speaking at the Fagge Local Government APC Caucus meeting in Kano on Saturday, ahead of the party’s National Executive Council, NEC, and National Working Committee, NWC, meeting in Abuja next week, Mr Ata said the party lost election in 2023 due to the party leader’s utterances that “challenged the will of Allah.”

Mr Ata, a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, said APC would have won election should its leadership was magnanimous and faithful to the fact that it is only God that gives power to whom He wishes.

The minister said APC should await another round of failure if the current executive members of the party is retained.

Mr Ata said, “We are making it clear to everyone, if they retain them, we will leave and the party will surely lose again.

“We are not with such people, and no matter what happens, we will not align with them. They send us messages, and we respond accordingly.

“We were raised with good morals; we know who God is, we respect our scholars and elders, and we will not compromise our values. If they insist on bringing them back, we will leave the party, and I swear, the party will fall again.

“We have a strong conviction that votes do not give power, money cannot buy power, and even the voters can not give you power. It is only Allah that gives power.

“We believe that Gawuna and Garo won the be 2023 election but the result was rigged. We went to court, and it was proven that we were cheated. Yet in the end, the One who gives power did not give it to us because we challenged Him,” Mr Ata said.

Mr Abbas is currently at his third tenure as the party chairman in the state.