By Jelili Gbadamosi
Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said the performance of state governors, particularly in the North, could pose a major challenge to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, argued that controlling a large number of states would not automatically translate into electoral victory for the ruling party.
He made the remarks on Thursday at an NDC Town Hall Meeting in Rivers State, where he cautioned the APC against relying on its numerical strength ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to him, past elections have demonstrated that political parties can lose elections despite controlling several states and having an incumbent president in power.
“The sitting president lost the election. I’m giving you an example, especially those who think because they have over 30 governors, they cannot lose the election. That is a very big mistake,” he said.
Kwankwaso further claimed that some Northern governors could face difficulties campaigning for the APC in 2027 because of dissatisfaction with their performance among residents.
He said the situation could make it difficult for some of the governors to openly seek support for the party during the election campaign.
The NDC chieftain also criticised the management of increased government revenues, questioning whether higher allocations to states and local governments had translated into improved living conditions for citizens.
He recalled that government revenues were considerably lower when he became Kano State governor in 1999.
Kwankwaso said the significant increase in revenue in recent years had not been matched by corresponding improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
“Now in one year, we have seen it on social media that our government collected over N1.11tn, just less than one year. You go around, what have you done with that money? Close to nothing,” he said.
He argued that the disconnect between government revenue and citizens’ living conditions was fuelling public dissatisfaction, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where insecurity remains a major concern.
Kwankwaso maintained that the APC’s control of more than 30 states, if achieved, should not be viewed as an assurance of victory, insisting that voters’ experiences and the performance of governments would remain critical factors in the 2027 elections.
