Former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has dismissed allegations that he is secretly working for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso made the remarks during an interview on Global TV on Wednesday night, where he described the claims as false and politically motivated.
The allegations were earlier raised by Sanusi Bature, spokesperson to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, who claimed the former NNPP leader had indirectly supported Tinubu since the 2023 elections.
Bature also alleged that Kwankwaso recently attempted to arrange a direct meeting with the president, though the meeting reportedly did not happen.
Reacting to the claims, Kwankwaso said only “foolish people” would believe he was working for Tinubu.
“We are not working for anybody. We are only working for NDC,” he said.
The former defence minister acknowledged his long-standing relationship with Tinubu but insisted it does not translate into political alignment.
“Bola Tinubu has been my senior brother and good friend up till now. But that doesn’t mean we shall pull all our political ideologies together with him,” he added.
Kwankwaso also criticised people surrounding the president, claiming they were shielding him from the realities facing Nigerians.
“Normally under the current circumstances, the president may not see what is happening. And unfortunately, most of the people around him are actually the ones creating the problems,” he said.
According to him, political actors around the president are more focused on attracting governors into the ruling APC than addressing pressing national concerns.
The former Kano governor further confirmed ongoing coalition talks within the Nigeria Democratic Congress involving him and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Kwankwaso said the coalition resolved to support Obi because members considered him the strongest southern candidate for the presidency.
“The party, in its own wisdom, decided to zone the presidential ticket to the south. We looked around across the zones and we realised that Peter Obi is the best candidate,” he said.
He also downplayed concerns about his political influence across northern Nigeria, saying the coalition still has enough time to convince Nigerians ahead of the next general election.
The development comes amid rising political tensions in Kano State, where rivalry among the NNPP, APC and other political blocs continues to shape the state’s political landscape ahead of 2027.
