The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of advancing President Bola Tinubu’s political interests by asking former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of Peter Obi.
The council described Kwankwaso’s call as reckless and self-serving, alleging that it was an attempt to weaken the opposition ahead of the election.
In a press statement, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, criticised Kwankwaso over comments he made during an interview on Channels Television.
Ologbondiyan accused the former governor of focusing on opposition figures instead of challenging the Tinubu administration, which he said Nigerians were eager to vote out.
He also expressed confidence that Atiku could win Kano State in the 2027 presidential election, regardless of whether Kwankwaso supported him.
According to him, the rising cost of living, hunger, poverty and insecurity would play major roles in determining voters’ decisions.
The ADC-PCC spokesman questioned Kwankwaso’s position, given his political alignment with Peter Obi and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He argued that opposition leaders should work together to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) rather than attack one another.
“Rather than campaigning against President Tinubu, whose administration Nigerians are eagerly working to vote out, Kwankwaso is fixated on Atiku Abubakar, the ADC candidate, whom millions of Nigerians believe can restore economic stability and make life affordable again,” Ologbondiyan said.
He further questioned Kwankwaso’s motives, suggesting that the former governor was more interested in his future political ambitions than in addressing Nigeria’s present challenges.
“Why is Kwankwaso so obsessed with Atiku? The answer may lie in his own political calculations. Having reportedly described the office of the Vice President as a ‘spare tyre’, he appears more concerned about positioning himself for the 2031 presidential election rather than addressing the urgent challenges confronting Nigerians today,” he added.
Ologbondiyan alleged that Kwankwaso’s actions could benefit the ruling party by creating divisions among opposition politicians.
“What Kwankwaso is doing amounts to advancing President Tinubu’s interests. It is a familiar APC strategy to use willing collaborators within the opposition to create confusion, sow division and weaken the collective efforts to bring about political change,” he said.
He maintained that Kwankwaso’s support was not essential for a candidate to win Kano, citing the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections, when former President Muhammadu Buhari secured victories in the state despite not having Kwankwaso’s backing.
The ADC-PCC spokesman also questioned Kwankwaso’s ability to translate his strong political base in Kano into nationwide electoral success.
“Kwankwaso must come to terms with the realities of the national political landscape. His influence should not be confused with the capacity to win a presidential election.
“If his political relevance were as extensive as he suggests, why did he finish fourth in the last presidential election?” he queried.
He further alleged that Kwankwaso’s support for Obi was motivated partly by personal ambition and the possibility of future political negotiations.