Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Kano governor and presidential hopeful, believes Nigeria’s 2027 elections will not be business as usual.
Speaking at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Abuja, Kwankwaso argued that the depth of poverty and hardship in the country has already shaped the minds of voters long before the first ballot is cast.
“Many Nigerians struggle to afford food. Others are displaced by insecurity or cannot access hospitals because they have nothing,” he said. “The people have made up their minds on what to do in 2027. And that is why we are so confident—we are with them, and they know it.”
He recalled his record in Kano—free education from primary to tertiary level, scholarships that sent thousands abroad, investments in infrastructure, and a reputation for security during the peak of Boko Haram violence—insisting that these achievements show that NNPP is not just another opposition outfit, but a genuine alternative to the ruling order.
The NNPP’s national chairman, Ajuji Ahmed, admitted the party is under “enormous pressure” both at home and abroad to clarify its position ahead of the next elections. International organisations and diaspora groups, he said, have been inquiring about the party’s posture toward possible coalitions or alignments.
Yet, Kwankwaso cautioned against distractions from defections and political horse-trading. “Some switch parties easily, thinking they know it all, but they understand little. If they truly want to know, they should come and ask us,” he remarked.
The undercurrent is clear: for Kwankwaso and the NNPP, the widespread disillusionment in Nigeria today is less about whether change will come in 2027, but about who will embody it.
