The spokesperson to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, Sanusi Bature, has alleged that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), is secretly advancing President Bola Tinubu’s political interests ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Wednesday, Bature claimed the former Kano governor is supporting Tinubu discreetly.
“There are those who are working with Tinubu openly, directly in the public space, and there are those who can work for Tinubu behind the scenes,” Bature said.
“I believe whatever Kwankwaso is doing will favour Tinubu at the end of the day because Kwankwaso worked for Tinubu in 2023.
“I’m a member of the APC; I have been the opposition spokesperson in Kano, and I know what happened in 2023. I believe Kwankwaso is working for Tinubu in 2027 behind the scenes.”
Bature also dismissed the possibility of a lasting alliance between Kwankwaso and Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), saying such a partnership would not survive the political realities in Kano.
“The NNPP is no longer a formidable platform for 2027,” he stated.
“There was an agreement among critical stakeholders, including Rabiu Kwankwaso, to find a lasting solution ahead of 2027 because the NNPP cannot fly on its own.”
According to him, influential political figures in Kano, with Kwankwaso’s approval, identified the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “Option A” for political realignment and broader participation at the federal level, including possible appointments into the federal executive council (FEC).
Bature further alleged that Kwankwaso initially sought a direct meeting with President Tinubu to discuss political arrangements but later cancelled the scheduled meeting, citing a trip to China, and never fixed another date.
Commenting on speculation surrounding a possible Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, Bature argued that the combination would struggle to gain support in Kano.
“A Peter Obi-Kwankwaso ticket in Kano is strange. Kwankwaso, a PhD holder, deputising Obi, who only holds a first degree, doesn’t look like the Kwankwaso we know. I don’t see this partnership working,” he said.
He added that despite Kwankwaso’s strong performance in Kano during the 2023 election, the proposed alliance would perform poorly in the state.
“Kwankwaso alone under NNPP was able to secure over a million votes in Kano in 2023. But believe me, in 2027, with Obi as presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as vice presidential candidate, that ticket cannot secure one million votes in Kano,” Bature said.