Tinubu Betrayed Kwankwaso in Kano, Forget 2027 Alliance – Galadima

A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Engr. Buba Galadima, has dismissed any prospect of an alliance between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general elections, accusing the President of betrayal in Kano politics.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, Galadima said the Tinubu-led administration undermined Kwankwaso and the NNPP by backing the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, against the authority of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. “How can Kwankwaso be a friend of the APC with what they are doing in Kano? They appointed two emirs in one city—one backed by the Federal Government and another recognized by the State. Who has the legal authority to appoint and pay emirs?” he asked.

Galadima accused the Federal Government of propping up Emir Bayero with heavy security while neglecting worsening insecurity across Kano. “They have not less than 40 pickup vans of mobile policemen guarding the Emir (Bayero). Meanwhile, in many parts of Kano, people are being killed and robbed, and the police are tied down. Are they not ashamed?” he queried.

The NNPP stalwart insisted that his party, not the ruling APC, would shape Nigeria’s next presidential contest. “We are the people who will determine who becomes Nigeria’s next President in 2027,” he declared.

Dismissing speculation about a Kwankwaso–Tinubu alliance, Galadima said: “Let anybody come out and say he met Kwankwaso and persuaded him to join the APC. I ought to know if that happened. Kwankwaso is the strongest political force in this country today—he challenged the APC in Kano and defeated them.”

The Kano Emirship tussle has continued to fuel political tension. In May 2024, Governor Yusuf reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir, four years after his dethronement. Federal forces, however, have continued to guard Aminu Ado Bayero’s palace despite his removal—sparking accusations of interference. Galadima claimed Tinubu was playing politics with the crisis. “They think Bayero will help them in 2027, but no Kano Emir has ever decided a presidential election in Nigeria,” he argued.

Kano remains one of Nigeria’s most influential states electorally. In 2023, Kwankwaso polled nearly one million votes in the state—outperforming Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi. Although Tinubu won nationally, the NNPP swept 38 of Kano’s 44 local government areas, cementing its dominance in the state. With Governor Yusuf in charge but the APC holding two senatorial districts, Kano’s political balance remains fragile ahead of 2027.