Johnchuks Onuanyim 
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, and the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, have said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not need the support of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to win Kano State in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Tuesday at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, where the Minister paid a courtesy visit to Ganduje, both leaders dismissed the political relevance of Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), describing him as “a stranded politician.”
Ganduje, who is Kwankwaso’s predecessor as Kano State governor, said:
“When a fish is running out of water, that’s exactly what is happening. If the water is drying, the fish has to find its way into the water. So that is what is happening.”
He added that while the APC is not outrightly rejecting Kwankwaso’s return, his re-entry would require humility and clearance.
“I will not say we are not ready to welcome him. When you see your son running to where he would get shelter and you are a big brother in a big home, I think it is morally right to accommodate him. A friend in need is a friend indeed,” Ganduje said.
Minister Ata was more direct, stating that Kwankwaso’s influence in Kano has waned significantly and that the red caps symbolic of his ‘Kwankwasiyya’ movement have all but disappeared.
“Kwankwaso is no longer active in Kano. He is only trying to join the APC for survival. Even Mr. President has his grassroots records. He is no longer attractive or an alternative,” Ata said.
He warned that the defection of Kwankwaso could create internal crises within the Kano APC, stressing that the party does not need him to secure victory for Tinubu in 2027.
Reacting to reports that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf would follow Kwankwaso wherever he goes politically, Ata said he personally would not welcome the former governor back into the APC, unless directed by Ganduje.
“I was in the House of Assembly in 1999 when Kwankwaso was governor. I know him well. Unless our father [Ganduje] decides to accommodate him, we have no deal,” he said.
The rivalry between Ganduje and Kwankwaso has deepened in recent years, despite their previous political alliance as governor and deputy.
