Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Nigeria’s former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, remains open to joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as political alignments take shape ahead of the 2027 elections, an ally has said.
House of Representatives member Abdulmumin Jibrin, a senior figure in Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), told Channels Television on Wednesday that “everything is a possibility” regarding Kwankwaso’s political future.
Kwankwaso, who came fourth in last year’s presidential election with nearly 1.5 million votes, commands a large following in northern Nigeria through his Kwankwasiyya Movement. Analysts say his support base could significantly sway the outcome of future polls if aligned with either the APC or the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Jibrin acknowledged that resistance within the APC in Kano State may be complicating talks, with some local leaders reluctant to welcome a rival bloc that could disrupt their own ambitions.
Although rumours suggest Jibrin himself may defect to the APC after repeated visits to President Bola Tinubu, the lawmaker said he had yet to make such a decision.
Tinubu won the 2023 presidential contest with 8.79 million votes, ahead of Atiku Abubakar of the PDP (6.98 million) and Labour Party candidate Peter Obi (6.1 million). Kwankwaso’s potential realignment could prove pivotal in Nigeria’s closely contested 2027 race.
