Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against assuming that its control of more than 30 states will guarantee President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso spoke on Thursday in Port Harcourt during a town hall meeting with voters, where he and Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the NDC, fielded questions on the prospects of the 2027 general election.
The former governor of Kano cited the 2015 election, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari, the APC candidate, as evidence that control of a large number of states does not automatically translate into victory at the federal level.
In the build-up to the 2015 election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which Jonathan contested, controlled about 20 states in the country.
However, during the election, Jonathan won in 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while Buhari won the remaining 21 states, according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Eleven of the 21 states won by Buhari were controlled by the PDP at the time, further demonstrating, according to Kwankwaso, that political control of states cannot guarantee victory in a presidential election.
Following his victory in the 2023 election, in which he defeated Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, President Bola Tinubu is seeking re-election on the platform of the APC, which currently controls about 31 states.
Referencing Jonathan’s defeat in 2015, Kwankwaso dismissed suggestions that the ruling party’s control of numerous states would guarantee victory for Tinubu.
“Jonathan was the sitting president and he lost the election. Those who think that because they have over 30 governors they cannot lose are making a very big mistake,” he said.
Kwankwaso also criticised the performance of several governors, particularly in northern Nigeria, claiming that many had failed to deliver meaningful development.
“The trend is that those governors and their parties have performed woefully. It is difficult for many of them to even come out and campaign because, from top to bottom, they did absolutely nothing,” he stated.
The former Kano governor argued that many candidates seeking to be Nigeria’s president lack the experience required to lead the country. He said Nigeria urgently needs “a committed, strong and vibrant president” capable of addressing the nation’s challenges.
Kwankwaso warned Nigerians against making what he described as another costly political mistake in 2027.
“This is the time to get it right. Anything to the contrary, if people make a mistake, they will regret making that mistake because it will be too costly for the people and the country,” he said.
Also speaking, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, NDC governorship candidate in Rivers, commended party members for their patience, resilience and commitment to the movement.
Lulu-Briggs expressed confidence that the party would build “a Nigeria that works”, while assuring the national leadership of the unwavering support of party members in the state.
