2027: Atiku Lacks Buhari’s Northern Support to Challenge Tinubu – APC Chieftain

An All Progressives Congress chieftain in Kano state, Dr Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, has said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar lacks the political influence and northern support of the late President Muhammadu Buhari to threaten President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Kwankwaso, in a statement made available to journalists, said the political dynamics in Northern Nigeria had changed, arguing that Atiku could no longer rely on ethnic and regional sentiments to secure the support of Hausa-Fulani voters.

He maintained that Buhari enjoyed widespread acceptance across the North, which he said Atiku had failed to replicate despite his years in national politics.

“Atiku is not Buhari. He does not possess the size, stature and acceptance of the late Nigerian President to pose a threat to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

The APC chieftain also questioned Atiku’s record during his eight-year tenure as vice-president, challenging him to demonstrate the development achievements of his time in office as evidence of what he would offer Nigerians if elected president.

He argued that northern voters were increasingly concerned about leadership performance, development and policies capable of improving their living conditions rather than ethnic or religious considerations.

“The North has gone beyond primordial sentiment, and his penchant for relying on the ethno-religious card will certainly fail him,” Kwankwaso said.

He further alleged that Atiku’s political associates were aware of his limited influence among Hausa-Fulani voters, claiming that this had informed efforts to undermine or collapse the NDC.

Kwankwaso expressed confidence that Tinubu would remain a strong contender in the North ahead of the 2027 presidential election, despite what he described as opposition efforts to build a regional coalition against the President.