2027: Kwankwaso rejects Atiku as running mate

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has strongly rejected the idea of a North-North ticket for the 2027 presidential election, stressing that such an arrangement would be detrimental to Nigeria’s unity and democracy.

This stance was made known by his spokesperson, Habibu Saleh, during an exclusive interview with Daily Post on Monday.

Kwankwaso’s spokesperson clarified that despite speculations about a potential alliance between the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and Kwankwaso, a ticket solely composed of Northern candidates is not feasible.

“I don’t think that is realistic. We must be sensitive enough to present a ticket that reflects balance between North and South,” he said.

Saleh emphasized that this approach would only divide the country, stating, “the same-region or same-religion ticket will only divide the country and hurt democracy. What Nigerians want is fairness and inclusiveness.”

Saleh also took issue with recent claims by Atiku that Kwankwaso’s influence is limited to Kano state, labeling it an understatement. “It is a serious understatement for anybody to say that the relevance of my principal is only in Kano. The figures from the last election clearly show otherwise,” Saleh asserted.

He went on to explain that Kwankwaso’s reach extended well beyond Kano, pointing to his impressive electoral performance in the 2023 presidential race. “Kwankwaso got about 906,000 votes from Kano, but he also got about 500,000 votes from other parts of the country. Remember, he contested on a relatively unknown political platform, without the backing of any incumbent governor, House of Representatives member, or even a councillor,” Saleh said.

Saleh highlighted that despite these challenges, Kwankwaso garnered significant votes, demonstrating the broad appeal of his political message. “For any candidate that can deliver his own state under su