2027: Kwankwaso-Obi Alliance Cannot Win Kano — Bashir Ahmad

Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad has said the decision of former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, to emerge as the running mate to Peter Obi will not affect the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s political strategy in Kano State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ahmad who spoke during a podcast via X, said Kano and other states in the North-West would play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the 2027 elections because of their large voting populations.

He noted that Kano has the highest number of registered voters in the country, making the state a major focus for political parties contesting the elections.

He said Kwankwaso, who remains a prominent political figure in Kano, had traditionally been regarded as a leader by many people in the state, irrespective of party affiliations.

“Everybody will be looking at what is going to happen in the North-West, especially the three key states. Every election time, we wait for the results from these three states,” Ahmad said.

He added that Kwankwaso’s decision to align with Obi would not fundamentally alter the APC’s calculations in Kano.

“Had it been Kwankwaso was on the ballot paper, then I would tell you we would have a problem. But now, Kwankwaso being vice-president to Peter Obi has already killed his chances in Kano,” he said.

Ahmad, however, acknowledged Kwankwaso’s influence in the state, saying many people in Kano viewed him as their leader beyond political party affiliations.

“We see Kwankwaso as our leader in Kano, not just APC people. Everybody, we didn’t expect to see Kwankwaso being the deputy to Peter Obi,” he said.

The former presidential aide also said the APC’s concerns about the opposition would not centre on Kwankwaso’s position as Obi’s running mate, adding that the party would focus on its broader electoral strategy.

Ahmad further raised concerns about the eligibility of a governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Obi’s party, following the release of the final list of candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He alleged that the party’s governorship candidate in one of the states had failed to meet the required qualifications.

However, the specific state and the grounds for the alleged disqualification were not clear from his remarks.