2027: Kwankwaso at Political Crossroads, boxed into Tightest Corner – Keyamo

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has delivered a stinging public assessment of the political future of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, warning that the former Kano governor has pushed himself into a “very difficult political crossroads” that could permanently end his presidential ambition.

In a detailed statement on Sunday, Keyamo argued that Kwankwaso’s refusal to accept an earlier rapprochement with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has left him boxed into “one of the tightest corners” of his political career.

“I have always admired Engr. Kwankwaso from a distance, but he appears to have boxed himself into one of the tightest corners in his political career,” Keyamo said, blaming indecision and strategic miscalculation.

According to Keyamo, Kwankwaso’s central problem is ambition without a viable platform.

“Kwankwaso wants to be President, but none of the major political parties will pick him as a candidate in 2027,” he stated, noting that both the APC and Peoples Democratic Party are expected to zone their presidential tickets to the South, while the ADC ticket is, in his words, “Atiku’s to lose.”

Keyamo dismissed the viability of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), describing it as “still a one-State party” whose grip on Kano is already weakening amid high-profile defections.

“A leader is only as strong as his devoted lieutenants,” he warned.

He further argued that a northern alliance is politically impossible for Kwankwaso.

“Kwankwaso will not support a Northern candidate because that ends his own Presidential ambition,” Keyamo said, adding that backing another northerner in 2027 would likely push Kwankwaso’s chances back by as much as 16 years.

“That’s a gamble he will not take. He will be 86 years old by then.”

Looking ahead, Keyamo said the former governor’s only realistic path lies beyond 2027.

“The only pathway for Kwankwaso is in 2031,” he noted, stressing that whatever alliance Kwankwaso forms in 2027 will determine whether he remains relevant or fades from national politics.

Assessing his options, Keyamo said a return to the PDP could mean surrendering his 2027 ambition, while joining the APC would also require patience and humility.

“The APC cannot throw its entire structure in Kano under the bus for a Kwankwaso,” he said, though he described Kwankwaso as “still an asset.”

On a potential Labour Party alliance, Keyamo was blunt: “He simply cannot and will not run as Vice-Presidential candidate to Peter Obi. Take that to the bank.”

Keyamo issued a stark warning: “The decision he makes now may retire him permanently from politics or revive his Presidential ambition,” insisting that without an alliance with a major party, Kwankwaso risks remaining “a local champion” whose influence may soon vanish.