Nigeria – Kano Emirship: NNPP, APC Exchange Words Ahead Of 2027

By Onoja Baba, Abuja, Nigeria

While Nigerians are still adjusting to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ushered in by the 2023 presidential election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have already begun battling for political dominance ahead of the 2027 election.

In Northern Nigeria’s Kano state, the APC has predicted that the NNPP and its presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will bear the brunt of the ongoing Emirship crisis.

This prediction comes as a response to comments made by NNPP Kano state chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, suggesting that the Emirship crisis will negatively affect President Tinubu’s re-election prospects in 2027.

Abdullahi Abbas, the APC state chairman, responded on 8th July 2024, in a statement from Abuja, describing the NNPP’s claim as an indication of the party’s frustration both in Kano state and on the national political scene.

Abbas argued that the crisis within the NNPP, led by the embattled Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, exposes its dismal failure despite its ambitions for the 2027 presidency.

Abbas noted that Kwankwaso’s 2023 presidential run, which yielded 1,454,649 votes (6.23% of the total, mostly from Kano), was intended to test his national appeal and maintain relevance.

He pointed out that Kwankwaso received minimal support outside Kano, with significant competition from Labor Party candidate Peter Obi in 13 northern states.

According to Abbas, the NNPP’s focus on the contentious Emirate law distracts from the failures of the Kano state government, which has been marked by controversial decisions and economic disruptions, including the demolition of houses and destruction of businesses.

He assured that the APC, now more united and popular, would significantly outperform its 2023 election results in Kano come 2027.

Abbas concluded by reaffirming the APC’s commitment to President Tinubu’s success, promising that the party would deliver more than triple the votes in the next presidential election due to the perceived failures of the current NNPP administration in Kano.

As the political climate heats up, the exchange of words between the APC and NNPP underscores the intensity of the upcoming battle for Kano’s political soul ahead of the 2027 elections.