Tinubu vs Kwankwaso: Kano to decide Nigeria's next president as Galadima reveals 2027 game plan

Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has dismissed suggestions that former Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso could align with President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, insisting that the Tinubu presidency has treated both Kwankwaso and the NNPP unfairly in Kano.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, August 18, Galadima said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had worsened tensions in the ancient city by backing the ousted Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, despite his removal by NNPP governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.

“How can Kwankwaso be a friend of the APC with what they are doing to us in Kano? Appointing two emirs in one town? There is a Federal Government emir and a state emir. Who’s got the responsibility to appoint emirs and pay them their salaries?” Galadima asked.

He alleged that the Federal Government had stationed “not less than 40 pickup vehicles filled with mobile police” to protect Bayero, while insecurity persisted in other parts of the state.

“In some localities in Kano, they are killing people and taking their handsets, and the police are tied down. Are they not ashamed?” he queried.

Boasting of NNPP’s growing influence, Galadima declared that the party would play a decisive role in the next presidential election.

“We are the people who will determine who will be the President of Nigeria in 2027,” he said confidently.

Galadima also dismissed speculation that Kwankwaso was being courted to defect to the APC.

“Let anybody come out and tell me that he met Kwankwaso and he canvassed or persuaded him or coerced him to join the APC. I assume if anybody talks to him about that, I ought to know,” he insisted.

Describing the former defence minister as “the strongest political Iroko in this country today,” Galadima noted that Kwankwaso had outmanoeuvred the APC in Kano.

The battle over the Kano emirate has shaped political alliances in recent years.

In 2014, Muhammadu Sanusi II succeeded Ado Bayero as emir, only to be dethroned in 2020 by then-governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who installed Aminu Ado Bayero.

However, Sanusi was reinstated in May 2024 by Governor Yusuf, sparking fresh legal and political disputes.

Galadima accused the Federal Government of meddling in what he described as a purely traditional matter.

“A federal high court has no business delivering judgment in a chieftaincy matter,” he argued.

He further alleged that Tinubu had once lobbied for Sanusi’s appointment, adding: “Let him come out and tell me that he didn’t, and I will give him instances.”

Kano remains a critical battleground for presidential hopefuls. In 2023, the state recorded about 1.7 million votes, with Kwankwaso leading the tally at 997,279, far ahead of Tinubu’s 517,341.

Despite this dominance in Kano, Kwankwaso finished fourth nationwide with 1.49 million votes, while Tinubu emerged winner with 8.79 million.

“Kano has always been the bride of presidential elections,” Galadima remarked, stressing that no emir had ever determined the outcome of a national poll.

With Governor Yusuf in control of Kano, but the APC holding two of the three senatorial seats, the state’s political balance remains delicate.

As Galadima suggested, Kwankwaso’s next move could either solidify Tinubu’s grip on power or tilt the scales against him in 2027.