Kwankwaso Popularity Is Restricted To Only Kano State – Atiku

Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate and former Vice President, has declared that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s political reach does not stretch beyond Kano State.

He made the claim while asserting stronger northern influence for himself compared to other key figures.

“Kwankwaso popularity is restricted to only Kano State. Kano is even now split between him and Governor Abba Yusuf,” Atiku stated.

The remark, which has since gone viral, forms part of a broader assertion that he commands more block votes in the North than Kwankwaso, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

NaijaChoice News reports that the statement comes amid major realignments rocking Kano’s political landscape. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who won election on the back of Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya movement under the New Nigeria Peoples Party, defected to the All Progressives Congress weeks ago.

Kwankwaso himself has since abandoned the NNPP and joined the African Democratic Coalition, a move analysts link directly to the erosion of his once-dominant base in the state.

Political watchers in Kano say the governor’s exit has visibly fractured the movement that delivered massive votes for Kwankwaso in past elections.

With 2027 general elections on the horizon, Atiku’s comments underscore the intense jostling for northern dominance among opposition heavyweights.

The development reflects the fluid alliances that continue to shape Nigeria’s political future, especially in vote-rich Kano.