Former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has dismissed claims that he is secretly working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that his political allegiance remains with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking during an interview on Global TV on Wednesday night, Kwankwaso described the allegations as baseless, saying such rumours had followed him since his days in the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
The rebuttal comes after Sanusi Bature, spokesperson to Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, alleged that Kwankwaso was indirectly working towards Tinubu’s re-election bid. Bature claimed the former Defence Minister supported Tinubu during the 2023 elections and recently sought a private meeting with the president, which reportedly did not happen.
Reacting to the allegations, Kwankwaso said only “foolish people” would believe he was working for the president politically.
“We are not working for anybody. We are only working for Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC,” he said.
He, however, acknowledged his longstanding personal relationship with Tinubu, describing the president as a “senior brother and good friend,” while stressing that friendship does not translate into 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,” Kwankwaso stated.
The former governor also criticised the current administration, suggesting that President Tinubu may not be fully aware of the hardship and political realities facing Nigerians because those around him were allegedly shielding him from the truth.
According to him, some individuals within the president’s circle were more focused on political expansion and influencing governors into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress than addressing pressing national concerns.
Kwankwaso also confirmed ongoing political talks between the NDC and Peter Obi, revealing that the coalition had resolved to support a southern candidate for the 2027 presidency.
He explained that after consultations with party leaders across the six geopolitical zones, the party concluded that Obi was the most suitable candidate from the South.
“The party, in its own wisdom, decided to zone the presidential ticket to the South. We looked around across the zones and realised that Peter Obi is the best candidate. That was our assessment at that particular time,” he said.
On his influence across northern Nigeria and his role in mobilising support for Obi in the North-East and North-West, Kwankwaso said the coalition still had enough time to engage Nigerians and counter misinformation ahead of the 2027 general election.
“We are just in the field, working very hard. We are trying to convince the people, even those who are going about telling lies to take advantage of our differences in the country,” he added.
Kwankwaso expressed confidence that Nigerians would eventually distinguish between political propaganda and genuine leadership as the election season progresses.
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