Amid early permutations for the 2027 general elections, Yusuf Sharada, an ally of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has confirmed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is making frantic efforts to get the former Kano governor to support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Sharada, the National Coordinator of Project Save Nigeria, disclosed this as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday.
He said the APC has lost popularity in Kano, a state with significant voting strength, and has begun seeking an alliance with Kwankwaso and his socio-political movement, Kwankwasiyya.
Sharada said, “They have been wooing Senator Kwankwaso to join them in the APC, knowing his antecedents and mass followership. Of course, it is their political permutation.
“Senator Kwankwaso stayed away from the APC because he does not agree with what they are doing as a government. They have insisted on getting him to join them. Politics is about numbers, and they know he has the numbers, especially from Kano and the core North-West.”
The Kwankwasiyya members suggested that the resignation of Kwankwaso’s political opponent, Abdullahi Ganduje, as APC National Chairman might be part of the ruling party’s plan to lure Kwankwaso away from the NNPP.
“Maybe the APC has perfected their plans. They are looking for the numbers because of their anti-masses policies; the masses of Nigeria are no longer with them.
“So, they now want someone in whom the masses have hope, so they can get those numbers, especially from that region,” he said.
Sharada added that Kwankwaso’s loyal supporters, known as Kwankwasiyya members, await his directive on which party to support in the 2027 presidential election.
“One thing people should understand about the followers of Senator Kwankwaso is that they value him more than any platform or party he belongs to, because of his antecedents and the way he has impacted lives in that region. People listen to his opinion and are waiting for him to give directives,” he said.
Historically, since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the northern region, especially Kano, has recorded the highest voter turnout in presidential elections, making it a key battleground.
For example, in the 2023 presidential election, Kano recorded about 1.7 million votes. NNPP’s Kwankwaso scored 997,279 votes, APC’s Tinubu polled 517,341, PDP’s Atiku Abubakar got 131,716, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi had 28,513. Of Kano’s 44 local government areas, Kwankwaso won in 38.
However, Kwankwaso secured 1,496,687 total votes nationwide, finishing third behind Tinubu with 8,794,726 votes and Atiku with 6,984,520; Obi polled 6,101,533.
Currently, Kwankwaso’s political ally, Abba Kabir of the NNPP, is the governor of Kano, but the APC controls two of the state’s three senatorial districts.
