Oliva Okpala, Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has strongly criticized New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) chieftain, Buba Galadima, following comments the latter made about the APC chairman’s political relevance.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, Okpala dismissed Galadima’s remarks as baseless and described the NNPP Board of Trustees member as “a failed, rejected, and frustrated politician without any base in Nigeria.”
Galadima had, in a recent interview, alleged that Ganduje lacked electoral value — a statement that drew sharp reactions from Okpala.
He described the NNPP stalwart as “a politician known for duplicity, mercantilism, and treachery,” adding that Galadima’s political record speaks of irrelevance in the country’s current democratic landscape.
“It is both mischievous and laughable for Galadima to assert that a man who has been elected twice as Governor of a strategic state like Kano and is now the National Chairman of the largest political party in Africa lacks electoral value,” Okpala stated.
He went on to accuse Galadima of consistently playing divisive roles throughout his political career, including during his time with the Buhari Organisation.
“Galadima’s antecedents are widely known. He was a member of the Buhari Organisation but chose to take skewed positions that contributed to the group’s early electoral failures. Is this the kind of person qualified to assess political value?” he queried.
Praising Ganduje’s political credentials, Okpala described him as “a tested and trusted leader, a technocrat of high repute, and a seasoned politician who successfully governed Kano for two uninterrupted terms.” He pointed to the numerous developmental projects attributed to Ganduje across Kano as evidence of his enduring popularity and grassroots connection.
Okpala further argued that while the APC under Ganduje’s leadership continues to grow stronger, the NNPP, which Galadima represents, has been struggling with internal divisions and factional disputes.
“While the APC ship under Ganduje is sailing smoothly, Galadima’s NNPP has been suffering from deep-seated factionalization and instability. Their failed attempt to hijack the party founded by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has only worsened their internal crisis,” Okpala asserted.
Concluding his statement, Okpala dismissed Galadima as “a political lilliputian” who has “outlived his usefulness” and insisted that Ganduje’s political clout remains unshaken.
“Dr. Ganduje remains a strategic and composed leader whose political reputation continues to generate goodwill for both the APC and President Bola Tinubu. He will not be distracted by the baseless utterances of people like Galadima,” he added.
