2027: Shehu Sani Speaks On Claims That Kwankwaso Is Backing Tinubu

Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has accused supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of unfairly attacking Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso following their political separation.

Sani said the allegations against the two politicians, including claims that they were working for President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reflected the ADC supporters’ displeasure with their decision to pursue separate political paths.

The former lawmaker made the remarks in a post on his verified X account while reacting to the ADC Presidential Campaign Council’s accusation that Kwankwaso was advancing Tinubu’s political interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The ADC guys are still bitter about the Peter and Kwankwaso divorce, hence the smear that they are working for the ruling party or the President,” he wrote.

Sani argued that Obi and Kwankwaso had established independent political records and should be allowed to make their own political decisions without facing attacks from political associates.

He maintained that the two politicians had the right to associate with political groups of their choice or withdraw from existing alliances.

“No consideration to the fact that they are all accomplished politicians with their own independent track records, and have the right to associate and disassociate,” he added.

Sani further accused some political actors of attempting to use the two politicians for their own interests before turning against them when they chose a different direction.

He said the criticism was the price they were paying for refusing to be treated as expendable political allies.

“This is the price they will continue to pay for refusing to be supplementary, and disposable cargoes in someone’s container,” he stated.

The former senator also cautioned political parties against developing an environment in which members could not leave an alliance without facing hostility.

“Political parties shouldn’t be cultish groups where one can’t pull out in peace,” he added.

Sani’s comments followed a statement by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council accusing former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of undermining opposition efforts ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The council made the allegation after Kwankwaso called on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to step down for Obi, describing his intervention as reckless and self-serving.

Atiku is the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, while Kwankwaso is the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with Obi as its presidential candidate.

In a statement issued on Friday, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Kwankwaso’s position during an interview on Channels Television suggested that he was more interested in weakening opposition leaders than challenging Tinubu’s administration.

Ologbondiyan argued that opposition politicians should concentrate on building a united front against the ruling APC rather than directing their attention towards one another.

He also dismissed concerns that Atiku would struggle to secure Kano State without Kwankwaso’s support, citing the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections in which former President Muhammadu Buhari won the state despite not having Kwankwaso’s backing.

The council maintained that economic hardship, hunger, poverty and insecurity would be major issues influencing voters in the 2027 elections.

Ologbondiyan further alleged that Kwankwaso was already positioning himself for the 2031 presidential election rather than focusing on the immediate challenges facing Nigerians.

“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 said.

The campaign council also accused Kwankwaso of serving the interests of the APC by allegedly creating divisions among opposition figures.

“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,” Ologbondiyan stated.