Kwankwaso Working Behind Scenes for Tinubu’s Re-election – Kano Govt

Kwankwaso Working Behind Scenes for Tinubu’s Re-election – Kano Govt

KANO, Nigeria – The Kano State Government has leveled a dramatic political allegation against Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) , claiming that the former governor may be secretly working to secure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections.

The Director General of Media and Publicity at the Kano Government House, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, made the explosive claim during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. According to Bature, while some politicians openly support President Tinubu, others – including Kwankwaso – may be backing the president quietly behind the scenes. “There are those who are working for Tinubu openly in the public space, and there are also those who can work for Tinubu behind the scene,” Bature said. “I believe whatever Kwankwaso is doing will favour Tinubu at the end of it because Kwankwaso has worked for Tinubu in 2023.” He added with striking directness, “In 2027, we are going to work for Tinubu directly and openly as members of the APC, but I believe Kwankwaso is also working for Tinubu behind the scene.”

Bature argued that the NNPP is no longer a formidable political platform for the 2027 elections, insisting that internal consultations had already produced a consensus among critical stakeholders, including Kwankwaso himself, on alternative political options involving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) . “The NNPP is no longer a formidable platform for 2027. 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,” Bature stated. He further disclosed that discussions had taken place among key political actors in Kano regarding possible realignments. “With Kwankwaso’s consent, we approached Tinubu and the APC as our Option A to explore joining the party, so that the possibility of joining FEC can come into play,” he revealed.

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According to Bature, Kwankwaso initially expressed interest in engaging President Tinubu directly in political negotiations but later abandoned the process when travel plans intervened. “Kwankwaso insisted on speaking to President Tinubu before any possible defection because the president is his friend. However, after a date was set, he cancelled the appointment, saying he was going to China, and never rescheduled,” he alleged. Bature further characterized Kwankwaso as politically confused, pointing to his recent movements between Abeokuta and Ibadan seeking political alliances. “Kwankwaso is getting confused. Somebody who does not believe in the Yoruba presidency has been moving from Abeokuta and Ibadan to seek political fortune. He has been engaging Obasanjo, the Oyo State governor to secure a political fortune,” Bature said. “This is an element of political confusion because if you believe in something you have to work for it and if you don’t, you can’t work on it. At some point, he sought Governor Makinde to secure a similar partnership and when Makinde opted out of that discussion, Kwankwaso went to Obi, the same Obi that he has been calling names. He saw Obi as an inferior political leader that he can’t even work with in 2023.”

The Kano government spokesman also made a striking claim about the erosion of Kwankwaso’s political base, asserting that the once-mighty Kwankwasiyya movement has significantly dwindled. “The balance is now that Kwankwaso is now alone. It’s a lone politician with maybe 30–40% of his followership before our defection. Now we’ve moved with like 70% of the Kwankwaso supporters to APC,” he stated. He also dismissed claims that about five million supporters attended a recent gathering at Kwankwaso’s residence in Kano, describing the figure as grossly exaggerated. “Even major public venues in Kano do not have such capacity. Kwankwaso’s residence cannot accommodate more than 2,000 people,” he added.

Turning his attention to the speculated political partnership between Kwankwaso and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, Bature described such an alliance as unlikely to succeed, particularly in Kano State. He alleged that Kwankwaso and Obi have a history of animosity, stating flatly, “Kwankwaso hates Peter Obi, and Peter Obi also hates Kwankwaso.” He dismissed the viability of a combined ticket, arguing that it would perform worse than Kwankwaso did alone in 2023. “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,” Bature said. He further argued, “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, cannot. And time will come, we’ll see.”

The political relationship between Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the current Kano State Government has been one of the most fiercely contested dynamics in Nigerian politics since the 2023 general elections. Kwankwaso, a former governor, former Minister of Defence, and two-time senator, remains one of the most influential political figures in the North-West, commanding a deeply loyal following known as the Kwankwasiyya movement, identifiable by their trademark red caps. In 2023, Kwankwaso ran for president on the NNPP platform, performing strongly in Kano State while falling short nationally. His political machinery was also widely credited with delivering the governorship to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who ran on the NNPP platform and defeated the APC’s candidate. However, cracks have since emerged in the relationship, with Governor Yusuf defecting to the APC earlier, leaving Kwankwaso to navigate the opposition landscape alone. Kwankwaso has since left the NNPP and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as part of a broader opposition coalition that includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi.

In contrast to Bature’s claims, the Kwankwasiyya Movement has maintained that coalition-building is a normal and necessary part of democracy. In a statement issued earlier in May 2026, the movement’s spokesperson, Habibu Sale Mohammed, called for unity and issue-based politics ahead of 2027, warning against political division and targeted attacks on individuals. “It is unfortunate that some commentators have resorted to selective attacks and misleading narratives aimed specifically at discrediting Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” Mohammed said. The group suggested that the criticism may be driven by fear of the political strength such an alliance could bring. “For the first time in recent political history, Nigerians are witnessing the realistic possibility of a broad-based political understanding capable of bridging the long-standing regional divide,” the group added, defending the proposed partnership with Obi as a step toward national unity.

Efforts to obtain reactions from Kwankwaso were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Neither the former governor nor his camp has publicly responded to the specific allegations made by the Kano State Government. The remarks come amid growing political realignments and speculations over possible alliances ahead of the 2027 presidential election, particularly in Kano State, a major political stronghold in Northern Nigeria. As the political temperature rises, all eyes will be on whether Kwankwaso responds to these allegations and how the evolving opposition coalition navigates the turbulent waters leading to 2027.

Kwankwaso Working Behind Scenes for Tinubu’s Re-election – Kano Govt