Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned that governors banking on state structures and political influence to secure re-election in 2027 are heading for a rude awakening. Speaking on Sunday, August 16, during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja, Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, said that many sitting governors who have failed their constituents are defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the hope that the party's machinery will save them in the next election cycle.
Kwankwaso's Warning: Voters Will Not Support Incumbent Governors
"What I foresee in the 2027 elections is that most of the governors seeking re-election will be disappointed because people will not support them," Kwankwaso said. He argued that Nigerians are becoming far more politically aware and that widespread suffering, including insecurity, poverty, unemployment, and crumbling public services, would shape how people vote. He emphasized that citizens have every right to demand better governance given the conditions many communities currently face.
Kwankwaso also raised concerns about the number of children out of school across the country, describing it as one of many clear signs that governments have not done enough with the resources available to them. Drawing on his own record, he said his administration as Kano governor prioritized education by expanding access at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. He noted that his government ran programmes targeting the Almajiri challenge and built student hostels as part of investments in educational infrastructure.
Political Defections to APC: A Calculated Attempt for Political Cover
The NDC vice-presidential candidate was also critical of the tide of politicians leaving opposition parties for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. He described the movement as a calculated attempt to gain political cover rather than a genuine shift in values. Despite his warnings about the behaviour of incumbent governors, Kwankwaso said he remained confident that voters would have the final say in determining who governs them after the next election.
Peter Obi, who was ratified as the NDC's presidential candidate on May 29, 2026, has Kwankwaso as his running mate as the party prepares to contest the 2027 general elections. Kwankwaso previously declared that no other ticket in the 2027 presidential election can match the combination of himself and Obi in terms of credibility, capacity, and genuine concern for ordinary Nigerians. He made that claim during the same NAN Personality Interview Series appearance in Abuja on Sunday, August 16.
