2027: Shehu Sani Breaks Silence on Claims Kwankwaso Is Working for Tinubu

Former Kaduna Central senator Shehu Sani has defended Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso against allegations that the former Kano State governor is working to advance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, blaming supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for what he described as a smear campaign following Kwankwaso’s political split with Peter Obi.

Sani made the remarks in a post on his verified X account while reacting to accusations by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council that Kwankwaso was undermining opposition efforts ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“The ADC guys are still bitter about the Peter and Kwankwaso divorce, hence the smear that they are working for the ruling party or the President,” Sani wrote.

The former lawmaker argued that Obi and Kwankwaso were established politicians with independent political identities and should be allowed to make their own decisions about political alliances without facing hostility from former allies.

According to him, political figures should have the freedom to associate with political parties and coalitions of their choice or withdraw from them without being accused of working against the interests of the opposition.

“No consideration to the fact that they are all accomplished politicians with their own independent track records, and have the right to associate and disassociate,” he added.

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Sani further criticised political groups that, in his view, attempt to control their members or punish them for choosing a different political direction.

“This is the price they will continue to pay for refusing to be supplementary, and disposable cargoes in someone’s container,” he stated.

He added: “Political parties shouldn’t be cultish groups where one can’t pull out in peace.”

The comments came after the ADC Presidential Campaign Council accused Kwankwaso, who is now the running mate to Obi under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), of weakening the opposition through his criticism of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Kwankwaso had called on Atiku, the ADC’s presidential candidate, to step aside for Obi, prompting a strong reaction from the ADC campaign council.

In a statement, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described Kwankwaso’s intervention as reckless and self-serving, alleging that it could deepen divisions among opposition politicians and benefit Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ologbondiyan argued that opposition figures should concentrate on challenging the Tinubu administration rather than attacking one another or attempting to influence the choice of presidential candidates in rival parties.

The ADC campaign council also questioned Kwankwaso’s political calculations, alleging that his actions were driven by personal ambition and future political negotiations rather than a genuine effort to strengthen the opposition.

However, Sani’s response challenged the suggestion that Kwankwaso’s departure from the ADC-led opposition arrangement amounted to support for Tinubu. He maintained that political disagreements and changes in alliances should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of collaboration with the ruling party.

The disagreement reflects the growing tensions among opposition politicians as parties and political leaders position themselves for the 2027 elections.

Obi and Kwankwaso’s move to the NDC followed their departure from the ADC-led opposition coalition, which had sought to bring prominent political figures together behind a common platform to challenge Tinubu.

Their exit has complicated efforts to maintain a united opposition front, with competing presidential ambitions and disagreements over candidate selection continuing to shape political discussions.

For now, the allegations that Kwankwaso is advancing Tinubu’s interests remain a claim by the ADC campaign council, while Sani has publicly rejected that interpretation. Neither the accusation nor Sani’s response, on its own, establishes that Kwankwaso is secretly working with the President.

The exchange underscores the widening political differences among opposition figures as the race towards 2027 gathers momentum.