Former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has strategically positioned his potential vice-presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections as a direct route for Kano State to clinch the presidency in the foreseeable future. During an extensive media tour across various radio stations in Kano on Sunday evening, Kwankwaso passionately urged the populace to view this opportunity, under the newly formed Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), as a “one-way ticket” to Aso Rock for an indigene of the state.
Addressing the flurry of political realignments shaping up ahead of the crucial 2027 polls, Kwankwaso did not mince words. In a video snippet widely circulated by Premier Radio, he launched a scathing critique against the incumbent Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, over his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as an unparalleled act of political treachery.
Kwankwaso, a prominent figure in Northern Nigerian politics, implored the electorate to throw their weight behind the NDC, emphasising that a vote for the party is, in essence, a vote for him and the collective aspirations of Kano State, particularly should he emerge as the running mate to former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He underscored the monumental significance of the upcoming 2027 elections for Nigeria’s political landscape.
“We are on the cusp of witnessing a historic election, one unprecedented in the annals of Kano and indeed, Nigeria,” Kwankwaso declared. “Specifically, if I am presented as the vice-presidential candidate and my name appears on the ballot, every vote cast for the NDC is not merely for someone else (Peter Obi); it is a direct endorsement of Rabiu Kwankwaso.”
He further elucidated the imperative for Kano people, stating, “Since the dawn of the First Republic till date, no indigene of Kano has ever secured a vice-presidential ticket, despite our massive demographic strength and profound political experience. We are poised to correct this historical anomaly if we clinch this ticket. A vice-presidential slot for Kano is a guaranteed pathway to eventually producing a president from our state. We will leverage this significant opportunity to ensure our people reap maximum benefits. We call upon our staunch supporters in Kano, across the North-West, and throughout the federation to do the needful: register and cast their votes.”
In the engaging radio interview, Kwankwaso unequivocally branded Governor Yusuf’s defection to the APC as “the most egregious political betrayal globally,” asserting that voters would inevitably hold the state government to account for this move in the forthcoming elections. Governor Yusuf had switched allegiance from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the APC in January, taking with him a significant number of the state’s elected federal and state lawmakers, alongside all 44 local government chairmen in Kano.
Sources close to the development revealed that Governor Yusuf had reportedly felt stifled by what was perceived as Kwankwaso’s overbearing influence, with allegations surfacing that the former governor acted as a political “godfather,” dictating executive appointments, commissioner selections, and key state policies. Supporters of Governor Yusuf, however, defended the defection, arguing it was a necessary step to liberate his administration from external control and foster better alignment with the federal government for Kano’s accelerated development.
For Kwankwaso, nevertheless, Governor Yusuf’s political leap was an unpardonable act of treachery. He contended that the governor had effectively surrendered the hard-won 2023 opposition mandate of the influential Kwankwasiyya movement directly to their long-standing rivals, the APC – a party led nationally by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and locally by Kwankwaso’s formidable political adversary, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
Following these events, Kwankwaso himself had abandoned the NNPP, subsequently aligning with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which was then being promoted as a broad coalition of opposition forces. However, in a significant political maneuver, he and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have now forged a formidable alliance under the banner of the new opposition platform, the NDC. To strengthen this challenge against the APC’s dominance in 2027, Kwankwaso notably set aside his own presidential aspirations, opting to back Mr. Obi and accept the vice-presidential slot.
Kwankwaso’s Sunday radio broadcasts in Kano are thus a calculated and strategic effort to persuade his fiercely loyal Northern political base that supporting a Southern presidential candidate like Peter Obi is not an end in itself, but a deliberate and well-thought-out step towards ultimately bringing the coveted presidency to Kano State.
Originally sourced from Premium Times. This article has been rewritten for our readers.
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