Former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has dismissed allegations that he is secretly working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, describing those spreading the claims as “foolish people”.
Kwankwaso made the remarks during an interview with Global TV on Wednesday night, according to TheCable.
The former governor reacted to allegations made by Sanusi Bature, spokesperson to Kano State governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who claimed Kwankwaso was indirectly supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Bature had alleged that Kwankwaso worked for Tinubu during the 2023 elections and recently sought a direct meeting with the president.
Responding to the claims, Kwankwaso insisted he was not aligned with Tinubu politically despite their personal relationship.
“I think only foolish people would believe that. We are not working for anybody. We are only working for NDC,” he said.
Kwankwaso added that while Tinubu remains his “senior brother and good friend”, both men pursue different political agendas.
“He is doing his own and I am doing my own,” he stated.
The former minister of defence also criticised the president’s inner circle, saying Tinubu may not fully understand the severity of Nigeria’s challenges because advisers around him are allegedly withholding the truth.
Kwankwaso accused some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress of focusing on attracting governors into the party rather than addressing governance issues.
On May 3, Kwankwaso and Peter Obi formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where discussions are ongoing about a possible joint presidential ticket for 2027.
Kwankwaso said the coalition backed Obi as its preferred southern candidate after consultations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
“We looked around across the zones and we realised that Peter Obi is the best candidate,” he said.
He also expressed confidence that the coalition has enough time to build support nationwide before the next general election.
TheCable reported that Kwankwaso maintained his camp is working to convince Nigerians despite political attacks and misinformation from opponents.