Abuja — The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has declared that the 2027 presidential ambition of former Kano State Governor and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is “effectively dead.”
Keyamo made the assertion on Sunday in a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, citing zoning realities, the weakening of NNPP’s political structure, and Kwankwaso’s failure to align early with a major political party as factors working against his chances ahead of the next general election.
According to the minister, Kwankwaso’s decision to reject what he described as an “olive branch” from the All Progressives Congress (APC) has left him politically isolated at a time when strategic alliances are already taking shape.
“Kwankwaso boxed himself into a corner by rejecting opportunities when they mattered,” Keyamo said. “Today, the political space has shifted, and there is no major party ready to accommodate his presidential ambition in 2027.”
Keyamo further argued that the NNPP lacks the national spread required to win a presidential election, describing the party as increasingly fragile even in its Kano stronghold.
“NNPP is a one-state party, and even that state is slipping,” he stated. “Once Kano goes, the illusion of national relevance disappears.”
The minister also dismissed the prospect of a northern political alliance in 2027, insisting that Kwankwaso would not support another northern presidential candidate, as doing so would effectively end his own ambition.
“He cannot back a northern candidate and then wait another 16 years for power to rotate,” Keyamo said, adding that this reality has shut the door on any meaningful cooperation with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
On Kwankwaso’s remaining political options, Keyamo noted that returning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), joining the APC, or aligning with the Labour Party would all require him to abandon his 2027 presidential bid.
“No party will mortgage its structure for him at this stage,” he said. “The era where Kwankwaso dictated terms is over.”
While suggesting that 2031 could still present an opportunity, the minister warned that even that would depend on Kwankwaso retaining political control of Kano State in 2027.
“If he loses Kano, he loses everything,” Keyamo added. “That would reduce him to a regional footnote in national politics.”
“This is not analysis for comfort,” he concluded. “It is a warning. The next move Kwankwaso makes may determine whether he remains relevant or exits the political stage altogether.”
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