Kwankwaso Denies Working for Tinubu Ahead of 2027 Election

Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano State, has dismissed allegations that he is secretly working for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking during an interview on Global TV on Wednesday night, Kwankwaso described the claims as baseless and said only “foolish people” would believe them.

The accusations were recently made by Sanusi Bature, spokesperson to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf. Bature alleged that Kwankwaso, a former national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), had supported Tinubu during the 2023 election and was still indirectly backing the president’s re-election bid.

He also claimed Kwankwaso had attempted to arrange a private meeting with Tinubu, though the meeting never happened.

Reacting to the allegations, Kwankwaso insisted he is focused solely on the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“We are not working for anybody. We are only working for NDC,” he said.

Kwankwaso acknowledged his long-standing relationship with Tinubu but stressed that friendship does not mean political alignment.

“Bola Tinubu has been my senior brother and good friend up till now. 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.”

The former minister of defence also criticised the current administration, saying the president may not fully understand the hardship in the country because those around him are allegedly hiding the truth.

“Most of the people around him are actually the ones creating the problems,” Kwankwaso said, adding that advisers are more focused on political calculations and attracting governors into the APC.

Kwankwaso recently joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) alongside Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate. The two politicians are currently involved in talks over a possible joint presidential ticket ahead of 2027.

Despite criticism from opponents who believe the alliance will fail, Kwankwaso defended the coalition and explained why his camp chose to support Obi.

According to him, after consultations with party leaders across the six geopolitical zones, the NDC decided to zone its presidential ticket to the south and concluded that Obi was the most suitable candidate.

“We looked around across the zones and realised that Peter Obi is the best candidate,” he said.

On his influence in northern Nigeria, Kwankwaso said the coalition still has enough time to win public support before the next general election.

“We are in the field, working very hard and trying to convince the people,” he said.

He added that Nigerians would eventually distinguish between politicians spreading misinformation and those genuinely committed to national progress.