By Amina Samuel, Kaduna
The national coordinator of Musawah for Youth and Development Initiative, Dr Polycarp Danladi Gankon, has called for responsible and constructive public discourse surrounding the recently concluded party primaries and the lead-up to the 2027 general election.
Speaking exclusively with Elanza News in Kaduna, Dr Gankon stressed that the appeal had become necessary due to grievances among party members following the primaries. A former two-time governorship candidate under APGA and former member of its Board of Trustees, Gankon later defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), where he now leads the Musawah movement. He advised the APC to avoid any actions that could weaken the party from within.
He noted that the primaries should serve as a wake-up call for the ruling party to address its shortcomings. “There are aggrieved members who could turn against the party and fight back,” he warned.
Despite this, Dr Gankon expressed confidence that a formal partnership between Musawah and the APC would significantly bolster the party’s grassroots presence and enhance its prospects in 2027.
“Our structure offers near-complete grassroots reach, enabling effective voter education, mobilisation of first-time voters, and coordinated engagement across urban and rural communities. We have a ready-made grassroots network across all 23 local government areas of Kaduna State, including wards and polling units,” he said.
He added: “We command strong youth and women demographics, critical to electoral success. We have over 26,446 active grassroots mobilisers strategically positioned to shape public opinion and drive large-scale political participation. This is in addition to more than 60 support groups working with the Musawah initiative, each comprising over 100 sub-groups. Our purpose is to support the present administration and all APC aspirants.”
Dr Gankon explained that the movement is structured at the ward level, with each ward expected to have nine officials, including desk officers and focal persons, to strengthen grassroots engagement.
The Musawah youth initiative draws inspiration from the leadership philosophy of Christopher Gwabin Musa, emphasising inclusive governance, youth empowerment, and issue-based politics. According to Gankon, the movement exists to support the government’s second-term bid while giving back to society through empowerment programmes for youths, widows, and communities, as well as sensitisation lectures on politics across all 23 local government areas of Kaduna State.
