No Presidential Ticket for Kwankwaso in 2027, He Has Been Cornered – Keyamo

In a no-holds-barred analysis that has set tongues wagging across Nigeria’s political landscape, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has declared that former Kano State Governor and leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has effectively painted himself into a corner with no realistic shot at a presidential ticket in the 2027 elections. Keyamo, a vocal APC chieftain, broke down Kwankwaso’s predicament in a detailed statement shared on social media, highlighting how the engineer’s refusal to grab an earlier “olive branch” from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has left him politically isolated.

Keyamo, who admitted to admiring Kwankwaso “from a distance,” painted a picture of a man whose presidential ambitions are now hanging by a thread. “Kwankwaso wants to be President, but none of the major political parties will pick him as a candidate in 2027,” Keyamo stated. He pointed out that both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are zoning their presidential tickets to the South, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) remains firmly in the grip of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. “Atiku is the owner of ADC (argue with your keypad, if you like),” Keyamo quipped, emphasizing that only a major party can clinch the presidency in Nigeria.

The minister didn’t stop there. He hammered on the NNPP’s fragility, calling it a “one-State Party” centered on Kano, which is now reeling from a wave of high-profile defections. This comes amid fresh reports that Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has formally resigned from the NNPP, effective January 25, 2026, in a move that deepens the party’s crisis. Yusuf’s resignation, addressed to the party’s chairman in his Diso-Kofar Atiku ward, cited lingering internal crises and is seen as a precursor to his potential defection to another party. Adding salt to the wound, 21 members of the Kano State House of Assembly have also defected from the NNPP to the APC, further eroding Kwankwaso’s base. The NNPP has blasted Yusuf’s exit as a “betrayal,” accusing him of abandoning the platform that propelled him to power.

“A leader is only as strong as his devoted lieutenants,” Keyamo noted, questioning whether the NNPP can even hold onto Kano in 2027. This exodus, including the governor himself, has left Kwankwaso vulnerable, with his Kwankwasiyya movement – once a formidable force in Northern politics – now facing an existential threat.

Delving deeper into Kwankwaso’s dilemma, Keyamo ruled out any alliance with a Northern candidate like Atiku, arguing it would dash Kwankwaso’s own presidential hopes. “Kwankwaso WILL NOT support a Northern candidate because that ends his own Presidential ambition since he MAY have to wait for another 16 years after 2027 to get a shot at the Presidency,” he explained. At 72 now, Kwankwaso would be 86 by then – a gamble the ambitious politician is unlikely to take. This effectively shuts the door on an Atiku-Kwankwaso partnership.

Looking ahead, Keyamo suggested 2031 as Kwankwaso’s next viable window, but stressed that the alliances forged in 2027 will be make-or-break. “If his grip on Kano slips in 2027, it will water down his clout and influence in 2031,” he warned. Kwankwaso’s options for a major alliance boil down to the PDP, APC, or Labour Party (LP) – but each comes with thorns.

In the PDP, which Keyamo described as “gasping for breath,” Kwankwaso could return and seize control of structures in Kano and the North-West, but zoning to the South means shelving his 2027 dreams until 2031 – and killing off the NNPP in the process. An APC merger offers national spread and staying power, but with NNPP defectors already bolstering APC’s Kano structure, Kwankwaso can’t dictate terms. “The APC is not so desperate for a Kwankwaso in Kano, but would be glad to welcome him,” Keyamo said, noting the party won’t “throw its entire structure in Kano under the bus.”

The LP route? Even narrower. Keyamo dismissed the idea of Kwankwaso playing second fiddle as Peter Obi’s running mate: “He simply cannot and will not run as Vice-Presidential candidate to Peter Obi. Take that to the bank. His own people will not even support him.”

Recent developments echo Keyamo’s grim outlook. Kwankwaso himself has been vocal, demanding a presidential or VP slot in any merger talks, stating he’s open to alliances but only on his terms. In a bold retort, he declared, “2027 is when they will witness real politics,” hinting at undisclosed strategies. Meanwhile, speculations swirl about Kwankwaso dangling between the APC and ADC as 2027 manoeuvres heat up.

Keyamo concluded that Kwankwaso is at a “very difficult political crossroads,” where his next move could either retire him permanently or revive his ambitions. Drawing parallels to the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), he warned: “Without a handshake with another major Party, he will remain a local champion with his NNPP, but that too may soon vanish.”

As Nigeria gears up for what promises to be a fierce 2027 race, with opposition figures like Atiku, Obi, and others in the mix, Kwankwaso’s fate remains a hot topic. Will the Red Cap leader find a way out of this tight spot, or is this the end of his presidential road? Only time – and perhaps a strategic handshake – will tell.