Nigerians have made up their minds ahead of 2027 elections, says Kwankwaso

Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, says Nigerians have already decided what to do in the 2027 elections, citing “severe” poverty and hardship across the country.

Kwankwaso spoke on Thursday at the national executive council (NEC) meeting of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) held in Abuja.

“Today, many Nigerians struggle to afford food. Many are displaced from their homes due to insecurity. Others are in hospitals without proper attention, or cannot go at all because they have nothing,” he said.

“The people in this country, I can tell you for free, have made a decision on what to do in 2027. And that is why we are so happy with ourselves, because we are with the people. And the people actually know we are with them. We are not satisfied with many aspects of life across the country, particularly the issue of poverty.

“Poverty is everywhere in this country, especially in this part of the country (north). It is serious poverty. Many communities are unable to visit the farm now. Some cannot go to the market. Some cannot even return home.”

Against the backdrop of speculation about opposition alignments ahead of the 2027 general election, Kwankwaso warned NNPP members not to be distracted by the defections and coalition talks among other politicians.

“But let me remind us: we must not be distracted by political defections and speculations. Some people switch parties easily, thinking they know it all, while they actually understand little. If they truly want to know, they should come and ask us,” he said.

The former governor highlighted some of his achievements in Kano, particularly in education and security.

“In Kano, during my time, we introduced free education from primary to tertiary level. People paid nothing. We went further—we identified talented young men and women and sent over 3,000 of them to 14 countries, including the UK, India, and Jordan, to study,” he said.

“Many returned with first-class degrees. Today, they are lecturers, professionals, and doctors, serving across Nigeria and beyond. We even sent over 100 young people to Jordan to train as pilots.

“In Kano, we built flyovers, underpasses, and established 26 institutes to train and empower youth. During the height of Boko Haram, I used our experience as former minister of defence to secure Kano. Criminals tried, but they failed. That is why Kano became an island of security amidst crisis.”

Kwankwaso framed his party as the true alternative to the ruling class, insisting that the poverty and insecurity he described cannot be addressed by the same old political arrangements.

‘NNPP UNDER PRESSURE’

Also speaking, Ajuji Ahmed, national chairman of the NNPP, said the party has come under mounting pressure to clarify its position ahead of 2027.

“I must state that the pressure facing us as a party over the direction that our party would take leading up to 2027 have been enormous,” he said.

“I must thank all those who are working assiduously to reach out to, and hold discussions with us in this regard. We thank all manner of persons, groups, organizations for the good work they have put in.

“Of particular interest in this regard are members of our party in the diaspora, all who have a genuine interest in moving our country forward, for their interest and even a measure of anxiety in our posture and decisions leading up to 2027.

“I am particularly flattered by inquiries coming to us from various interested international organisations and groups in this regard.”

He added that while the party now has a clearer sense of its future direction, it would still require more time before reaching final decisions.