By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has delivered a blunt assessment of the political future of former Kano State governor and NNPP leader, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, warning that the veteran politician may have boxed himself into a tight corner ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a detailed political analysis released on his X handle on Sunday, Keyamo said Kwankwaso’s long-held presidential ambition is facing serious obstacles, largely due to his refusal or indecision to accept an earlier political “olive branch” from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Keyamo, none of Nigeria’s major political parties is likely to hand Kwankwaso a presidential ticket in 2027. He argued that both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are expected to zone their tickets to the South, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is firmly under the control of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In his view, only a major party can win a presidential election in Nigeria, a status he said the NNPP does not currently enjoy.
Keyamo further described the NNPP as a largely one-state party whose grip on Kano is already weakening, citing recent defections, including that of the sitting governor. He warned that Kwankwaso’s influence is only as strong as the loyalty of his political lieutenants, which he said is now in doubt.
On the possibility of alliances, Keyamo ruled out any cooperation between Kwankwaso and Atiku Abubakar in 2027, arguing that Kwankwaso would not support another northern presidential candidate, as doing so would effectively end his own ambition. He noted that by the time power could rotate back to the North again, Kwankwaso would be well into his eighties.
Keyamo said the former governor’s most realistic pathway to the presidency may now lie in 2031, but stressed that whatever alliance he forms in 2027 will be crucial to that ambition. He warned that losing Kano in the next election cycle would significantly diminish Kwankwaso’s bargaining power with any major party in the future.
Assessing Kwankwaso’s remaining options, Keyamo said they are now limited to the PDP, APC or, under very narrow conditions, the Labour Party. He argued that a return to the PDP could come with conditions such as surrendering NNPP’s structure in Kano, effectively signalling the end of the party, while also forcing Kwankwaso to shelve his 2027 ambition due to zoning.
On the APC option, Keyamo said the ruling party is no longer desperate for Kwankwaso, especially with the strengthened APC structure in Kano following defections from the NNPP. While describing Kwankwaso as “still an asset,” he maintained that the APC would not dismantle its existing structure to accommodate him, adding that joining the party would also mean postponing presidential ambitions until 2031.
As for the Labour Party, Keyamo dismissed speculation that Kwankwaso could accept a vice-presidential slot under Peter Obi, insisting that such an arrangement is unrealistic and would not be supported by Kwankwaso’s political base.
In conclusion, Keyamo said Kwankwaso is standing at a decisive political crossroads, where the choices he makes now could either permanently end his relevance or revive his presidential dream. He warned that without a strategic alliance with a major party, Kwankwaso risks remaining a “local champion,” a status that could soon fade alongside the declining fortunes of the NNPP in Kano.
