2027 Coalition: Eight Months Enough To Unseat APC, Kwankwaso Boasts
Former Kano State governor and 2023 New Nigeria Peoples Party presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has rejected claims that he is secretly working for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the 2027 polls, describing the allegation as “false and misleading.”
Kwankwaso made the denial on Wednesday night during an interview with Global TV, responding to comments by Sunusi Bature, spokesperson for Kano State governor Abba Yusuf, who had alleged that the former governor was indirectly backing Tinubu.
“We are not working for anybody. We are only working for NDC,” Kwankwaso was quoted as saying. He added that only “foolish people” would believe such a claim.
Acknowledging his longstanding friendship with President Tinubu, Kwankwaso stressed that personal ties do not translate into political alignment. “Bola Tinubu has been my senior brother and good friend, but that doesn’t mean we shall pull all our political ideologies together with him. He is doing his own, and I am doing my own,” he stated.
The former Minister of Defence also criticised the current administration, suggesting that the President may not fully understand the nation’s challenges due to the influence of his aides. “Most of the people around him are actually the ones creating the problems. In those circumstances, it is difficult to see who will advise him or tell him the obvious situation,” Kwankwaso said.
On his party’s strategy, Kwankwaso confirmed ongoing coalition talks within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and explained the decision to support Labour Party’s Peter Obi as the preferred southern presidential candidate. “We looked across the zones and realised Peter Obi is the best candidate. That was our assessment at that particular time,” he said.
Looking ahead to 2027, Kwankwaso expressed confidence in the coalition’s ability to mobilise nationwide support. “From now till January 16, 2027, we have about eight months, which is enough time,” he added.
Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr. Habibu Sale, dismissed Bature’s claims as “desperate propaganda” aimed at discrediting Kwankwaso. Sale insisted that the former presidential candidate was not known for hidden alliances. “Kwankwaso has always been a straightforward politician. If he wants to work with anybody, he will openly declare it. He is not someone that can be bought or pressured into any political arrangement,” Sale stated.
Sale also dismissed suggestions that the emerging alliance between Kwankwaso and Peter Obi would not survive, describing both leaders as demonstrating political maturity. “The issue is not about personal ambition or ticket sharing. It is about building understanding and working together in the interest of Nigeria,” he said.