The Director-General, Media and Publicity, Kano State Government House, Sunusi Tofa, has accused the former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of anti-party activities, saying he is indirectly working towards the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tofa made the revelation on Wednesday while appearing on the Arise News morning programme, in his reactions to ongoing political developments and alignments ahead of the next general election in the country.
He said recent political activities and strategic engagements across the country suggest subtle cooperation between some opposition figures and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, with certain political calculations promoted by Kwankwaso, ultimately set to favour Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is indirectly or strategically working towards President Tinubu’s re-election bid. There are political activities and strategic engagements already taking place ahead of 2027, and many of them will eventually favour President Tinubu,” he said.
Tofa also claimed that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi may face political limitations in Kano due to what he described as the conservative nature of the state’s political environment.
The government spokesperson further disclosed that Governor Abba Yusuf had approached Tinubu over plans to defect to the APC with Kwankwaso’s consent, adding that the alleged move also had the backing of former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo.
He also dismissed claims that about five million supporters attended a recent gathering at Kwankwaso’s residence in Kano, describing the figure as grossly exaggerated.
“Even major public venues in Kano do not have such capacity. Kwankwaso’s residence cannot accommodate more than 2,000 people. Political acceptance in Kano is shaped by ideology, history and regional considerations,” he said.
The political relationship between Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the current Kano State Governor, Yusuf, has been one of the most closely watched and fiercely contested dynamics in Nigerian politics since the 2023 general elections.
Kwankwaso, a former governor, minister of defence and two-time senator, remains one of the most influential political figures in the North-West, commanding a deeply loyal following known as the Kwankwasiyya movement, identifiable by their trademark red caps.
In 2023, Kwankwaso ran for president on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, performing strongly in Kano State while falling short nationally.
His political machinery was also widely credited with delivering the governorship to Yusuf, who ran on the NNPP platform and defeated the APC’s candidate.
However, since ascending the throne, cracks have begun to emerge in the relationship between Kwankwaso and Yusuf, with reports of tensions over political direction, appointments and the management of the state.
All efforts made to reach the Kwankwaso camp proved abortive, as neither calls nor messages were responded to.
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