Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s control of more than 30 states does not guarantee President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2027 election.
Kwankwaso spoke on Thursday in Port Harcourt during a town
hall meeting with voters where he and Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the
NDC, fielded questions on the prospects of the 2027 general election.
The former governor of Kano cited the 2015 election, when
then-President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari,
the APC candidate.
In the build-up to the 2015 election, the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), the platform on which Jonathan contested, controlled about 20
states in the country.
However, during the election, Jonathan won in 15 states and
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while Buhari won the remaining 21 states,
according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC).
Eleven of the 21 states won by Buhari were controlled by the
PDP at the time.
Following his victory in the 2023 election, in which he
defeated Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, President Bola Tinubu is
seeking re-election on the platform of the APC, which currently controls about
31 states.
Referencing Jonathan’s defeat in 2015, Kwankwaso dismissed
suggestions that the ruling party’s control of numerous states would guarantee
victory for Tinubu.
“Jonathan was the sitting president and he lost the
election. Those who think that because they have over 30 governors they cannot
lose are making a very big mistake,” he said.
‘THIS IS THE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT’
Kwankwaso also criticised the performance of several
governors, particularly in northern Nigeria, claiming that many had failed to
deliver meaningful development.
“The trend is that those governors and their parties have
performed woefully. It is difficult for many of them to even come out and
campaign because, from top to bottom, they did absolutely nothing,” he stated.
The former Kano governor argued that many candidates seeking
to be Nigeria’s president lack the experience required to lead the country.
He said Nigeria urgently needs “a committed, strong and
vibrant president” capable of addressing the nation’s challenges.
Kwankwaso warned Nigerians against making what he described
as another costly political mistake in 2027.
“This is the time to get it right. Anything to the contrary,
if people make a mistake, they will regret making that mistake because it will
be too costly for the people and the country,” he said.
Also speaking, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, NDC governorship candidate
in Rivers, commended party members for their patience, resilience and
commitment to the movement.
Lulu-Briggs expressed confidence that the party would build
“a Nigeria that works”, while assuring the national leadership of the
unwavering support of party members in the state.
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