Kwankwaso sets 2027 terms: Only presidential or VP ticket will justify defection, slams Yusuf’s APC move

Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has declared that he would only consider defecting to another political party if offered either the presidential or vice-presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.

Kwankwaso also openly criticised the planned defection of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a betrayal of the struggle that returned Kano to the opposition.

Addressing NNPP supporters at his residence in Kano on Wednesday, the former governor said that after more than four decades in politics, neither he nor his supporters would accept a defection that does not place him at the centre of power in 2027.

According to him, several overtures have been made by the APC to lure him into the party, but he rejected them because they lacked a clear and beneficial political offer for him and his political family.

“They invited us and said we should come. We asked them: what will you give us? Appointments? How many? Which one will fit me and which will fit the national chairman and other leaders of this movement?” Kwankwaso said. “They couldn’t answer any of these questions.”

He stressed that cosmetic incentives such as appointments were insufficient, insisting that only a presidential or vice-presidential ticket would justify abandoning the NNPP.

Kwankwaso reaffirmed his loyalty to the NNPP and its Kwankwasiyya ideology, which he said remains focused on lifting the poor, empowering young people, expanding access to education, improving healthcare, boosting agriculture and promoting economic prosperity.

Dismissing claims that the NNPP was merely keeping multiple political options open, he said the 2027 elections would require unity and strategic clarity, particularly in Kano State.

“This is no longer about options one, two or three. It is now a national issue. Kano must be united if we are to win again in the next elections,” he said.

Turning to the looming defection of Governor Yusuf to the APC, Kwankwaso expressed shock and disappointment, saying the governor neither consulted him nor offered any convincing explanation for the decision.

“This is a big lesson for all of us. We never expected betrayal,” he said. “After all we did to rescue Kano from Ganduje and the APC, you have now handed the governorship back to them free of charge.”

Kwankwaso urged his supporters to remain calm despite the development, calling for prayers and restraint even as the political realignment deepens tension within Kano’s opposition landscape.

The comments come amid growing speculation over political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with Kano emerging as a major battleground in the unfolding contest for power.