Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has ruled out the possibility of Rabiu Kwankwaso supporting President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Galadima accused the Tinubu administration of mistreating both Kwankwaso and the NNPP in Kano by backing the ousted Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, despite his removal by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
“How can Kwankwaso align with the APC after what they have done to us in Kano? They appointed two emirs in one city. Who is responsible for appointing and paying emirs,the state or the Federal Government? Meanwhile, people are being killed in some areas of Kano, yet security forces are tied down protecting their emir,” Galadima said.
The NNPP stalwart boasted that his party will play a decisive role in the next presidential election.
“We are the people who will determine who becomes President of Nigeria in 2027,” he declared.
A long-running tussle between the Bayero and Sanusi royal families has kept Kano in the national spotlight.
Muhammadu Sanusi II succeeded Emir Ado Bayero in 2014, only to be deposed six years later for Ado Bayero’s son, Aminu.
In May 2024, Governor Yusuf reinstated Sanusi, sparking legal battles and heightened security around the emir’s palace.
Galadima accused the Tinubu government of interfering in the chieftaincy dispute.“In the first place, was it not Tinubu who supported Sanusi to become emir? Let him deny it, and I’ll give instances,” he said.
He argued that the Federal Government is clinging to Emir Bayero in hopes of gaining political advantage in 2027. “But no emir in Kano has ever determined the outcome of a presidential election,” he added.
Since 1999, Kano has consistently recorded the highest voter turnout in presidential elections, making it a political stronghold.
In 2023, Kwankwaso won 38 of 44 LGAs in the state, polling 997,279 votes against Tinubu’s 517,341.
Nationally, however, Tinubu triumphed with 8.7 million votes, while Kwankwaso came fourth with 1.49 million.
Currently, Kwankwaso’s protégé, Governor Yusuf, leads Kano under the NNPP, though the APC still controls two of the state’s three senatorial districts.
“Kwankwaso is the strongest political iroko in this country today because he challenged the APC and defeated them in their own game in Kano,” Galadima said, stressing that his leader has not considered joining Tinubu or the APC ahead of 2027.
Leave a Reply