Former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has alleged that some people around the All Progressives Congress (APC) are boasting that they would manipulate the results of the 2027 presidential election, even if they receive only 1,000 votes.
Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, saying the ruling party was worried about the popularity of the opposition ticket.
He, however, said he had no direct evidence of the alleged plan, explaining that the information came from people around APC figures.
“We have heard many of them, especially through people around them, that as usual, they are boasting that even if they get 1,000, they will write the result for themselves,” he said.
When asked whether he had evidence to substantiate the allegation, Kwankwaso replied: “We hear it from people around them, actually.”
He said the APC and its supporters were concerned about the growing popularity of the opposition, which he said had gained support through Obi’s standing in southern Nigeria and the Kwankwasiyya movement in the North.
He that the combination of the two political bases had produced a formidable team ahead of the January 16, 2027 election.
Kwankwaso also dismissed the significance of the growing number of governors and political elites supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that their position did not necessarily reflect the feelings of ordinary Nigerians.
The former governor said political leaders should learn from history rather than rely on the backing of the president or governors to win elections.
He recalled that he was governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and lost his re-election bid when the governorship and presidential elections were held on the same day.
According to him, the experience showed that governors could not always depend on their political influence or the popularity of a presidential candidate to win elections.
He said some governors now appeared to believe they could not win elections independently and had therefore aligned themselves with Tinubu, while the president also needed their support.
Kwankwaso said the political elite supporting the ruling party were disconnected from the hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians in villages, towns and cities.
“The people you see around them are mainly people who are the beneficiaries of the failure,” he said.
Kwankwaso said Nigerians were angry and looking for an alternative, expressing confidence that the Obi–Kwankwaso ticket could provide the change they desired.
Why I joined Obi
Kwankwaso also explained why he decided to work with Obi in the 2027 election after failing to join forces with him during the 2023 presidential contest.
He said political circumstances had changed since the last election and that he and his associates had come to appreciate Obi’s credibility and capacity.
According to him, one of the considerations in 2023 was the debate over the distribution of presidential power between the North and South, with some political actors arguing that the North had not spent as many years in the presidency as the South.
He said that after a southerner won the 2023 election, he and his associates considered it appropriate to allow the person to complete the four-year term begun by the current administration.
Kwankwaso said they subsequently examined potential partners and concluded that Obi was the right person to work with.
He added that both politicians shared similar visions for Nigeria, making it easier for them to work together.
Kwankwaso described the alliance as an arrangement between leaders from the North and South who wanted to work together to win the presidency and improve the country.
Kwankwaso speaks on Atiku
The former Kano governor also addressed his relationship with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his position that Atiku should not contest the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso said he had worked with Atiku on several occasions over the years and was not opposed to him personally.
He recalled that in 1993, Atiku was part of a political group under the leadership of the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, which supported his presidential ambition under the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
He said the group also supported Atiku in subsequent political contests, including efforts to secure the party’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets.
Kwankwaso recalled that he was governor-elect when Olusegun Obasanjo emerged as president in 1999, adding that he and Atiku had worked within different political arrangements in later elections.
He also recalled the 2007 presidential contest, when he said about 90 per cent of delegates from his party, the Kwankwaso National Democratic Party (KANU), supported Atiku.
He said they were also aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 election, when Muhammadu Buhari, Kwankwaso and Atiku were among the contenders.
“Everything has time,” he said, adding that his position was not based on hostility towards Atiku.
Obi’s one-term agreement
Kwankwaso also confirmed that he and Obi had agreed that Obi would not seek a second term if elected president in 2027.
Asked whether he believed Obi would honour the arrangement, Kwankwaso described the former Anambra governor as a trustworthy person.
“Of course, I believe him. He’s a gentleman. He’s somebody that one can trust. And when he says something, we all agree and sign,” he said.
He confirmed that the two politicians had signed an agreement on the arrangement.
However, the interview did not disclose the full terms of the agreement or provide details of the document.
On economic policy, Kwankwaso said the NDC ticket had agreed on the need to reduce fuel and energy prices, including through possible subsidy-related measures.
He was responding to questions about apparent differences between his position and that of Obi on fuel subsidy.
The interviewer noted that Obi had previously said he would tackle corruption associated with the subsidy rather than simply remove it, while Kwankwaso had indicated that the opposition ticket might consider restoring subsidy.
Kwankwaso explained that during the 2023 election, his position was that the government should first address corruption in the petroleum industry rather than remove the subsidy.
He said the major presidential candidates at the time had supported subsidy removal, while Atiku had also advocated the sale of the country’s refineries.
Kwankwaso recalled that Tinubu announced the removal of the subsidy on May 29, 2023, immediately after his inauguration.
He said the consequences of the policy had been severe, arguing that Nigerians had yet to recover from the shock of its implementation.
According to him, the NDC had since reviewed the situation and discussed the issue with its presidential candidate and other members of the political team.
He said the party’s priority was to make life more bearable for Nigerians, particularly those struggling with the rising cost of living.
Kwankwaso maintained that he and Obi were now on the same page on the issue.
“Our collective position now is that the price of energy in this country is too high,” he said.
He added that the ticket would do whatever was necessary to reduce fuel prices, including considering subsidy measures.
“Our position is we are going to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the price of fuel in this country is taken back, including doing whatever we can, including the subsidy and so on and so forth,” he said.
The interviewer pressed him to clarify whether this meant the NDC would restore subsidy, noting that the policy question required a clear position on whether subsidy would be retained or removed.
Kwankwaso reiterated that the party was committed to lowering energy prices but did not provide a detailed implementation plan during the interview.
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