‘Kano Votes Split’: Let’s Wait And See What Happens In 2027, Kwankwaso Challenges Atiku, Other Naysayers 

By Akanni Toba

Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has reacted to his political opponents and analysts who think his defection to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has undermined his popularity in Kano state and may lead to split of votes among the electorate in the state in 2027.

Kwankwaso, who appeared unruffled by the prediction, cautioned naysayers not to jump the gun, saying “let wait for the election and see”

The ex-Kano governor noted that his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was not prompted by bitterness or hatred towards anybody.

Kwankwaso spoke in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, responding to the projection that he might not be able to replicate the outstanding performance he had in Kano in 2023 in the forthcoming 2027 election following his rift with his State governor, Abba Yusuf and subsequent exit from ADC.

The former minister’s reaction maybe also not unconnected with the recent remarks by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar that Kwankwaso’s popularity was confined to Kano State and further divided there by Governor Abba Yusuf.

Atiku, who is seeking the presidency on the ADC platform, also described himself as the most popular politician of northern extraction, saying none of his contemporaries, including Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal and Nasir El-Rufai, commanded a voter base across the North as wide as h

But reacting to the ex-VP’s claim, Kwankwaso simply said, “Let’s wait for the election and see whether votes are split in Kano or not,”

Meanwhile, the former Kano governor hinted at the fact that his clout is far-reaching and formidable while recalling how he used his influence to secure votes  for Atiku in 2019 when he served as northern coordinator during the 2019 presidential election.

“There was an election in 2019 in Port Harcourt. He won the election. I was his coordinator for the north. We worked for him,” he said.

The leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, however, did not rule out the possibility of working with Atiku again to wrest the reins of power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.

“Now, we may still work together before the election. I personally, and I think even Obi himself, decided to leave ADC not because we are fighting with Atiku or anybody there. We decided to leave that party because we realised that there are some issues,” he said