KEY POINTS

• Kwankwaso denies a claim that he is secretly working for Tinubu’s re-election.
• He calls Tinubu a friend but rejects sharing his politics.
• He and Peter Obi have joined the NDC and are discussing a joint ticket.

Former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has flatly denied working for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election, saying only foolish people would believe such a claim. He spoke on Wednesday night in an interview with Global TV. He insisted his movement is not working for Tinubu in any form, only for its own party. Moreover, he said rivals have pushed the rumor since his days in the New Nigeria People’s Party.

Denying he is working for Tinubu

The claim came from Sanusi Bature, spokesperson for Kano Governor Abba Yusuf. Specifically, Bature alleged that Kwankwaso quietly backed Tinubu’s 2023 campaign and recently sought a direct meeting with the president that never happened. However, Kwankwaso rejected the charge that he is working for Tinubu outright. “We are not working for anybody. We are only working for Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC,” he said.

The former defense minister did not deny his personal ties to the president. Indeed, he called Tinubu a senior brother and good friend. Still, he drew a sharp political line. “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,” he said.

A swipe at Tinubu’s inner circle

Even while praising Tinubu personally, Kwankwaso faulted the people around him. Specifically, he argued that aides shield the president from the country’s real problems. “Most of the people around him are actually the ones creating the problems,” he said. Therefore, he suggested, Tinubu may not see the full picture.

He also took aim at the ruling party’s strategy. According to Kwankwaso, the administration focuses on winning over governors rather than fixing governance. “Going by the number of governors now, APC is number one,” he said.

Building the NDC coalition

Kwankwaso has thrown his weight behind a new alliance. On May 3, he and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, where they are discussing a joint ticket. Meanwhile, the party has zoned its presidential slot to the South. The move marks another attempt by opposition figures to unite against the APC before 2027. Kwankwaso commands a loyal following in Kano and across parts of the North, which makes his alignment a prize for any presidential bid.

Kwankwaso said his camp picked Obi on merit. “We looked around across the zones and we realized that Peter Obi is the best candidate,” he explained. However, Bature dismissed the partnership, predicting it would not last.

Pressed on whether he could deliver northern votes for Obi, Kwankwaso refused to boast. Instead, he said the coalition still has time to win people over. “From now till January 16, 2027, we have about eight months, which is enough time,” he said. Additionally, he predicted that the truth would outlast what he called the lies of his opponents.