A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdulmumin Jibrin, has said former Kano State governor and NNPP presidential candidate in 2023, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is open to working with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme on Wednesday, Jibrin disclosed that President Bola Tinubu remains well-positioned for re-election, while hinting that a possible alliance between Kwankwaso and the APC is not off the table.
“As far as that [joining APC] is concerned, he has always maintained that his doors are open, our doors are open for discussions. Everything is a possibility,” Jibrin said.
He noted that although speculations about Kwankwaso’s defection to the APC have persisted since 2023, the former governor has never ruled it out. However, he admitted that “vested interests” within Kano APC, driven by governorship ambitions, might be slowing down such talks.
Jibrin, who represents Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency and chairs the House Committee on Housing and Habitat, described Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya Movement as a formidable political force that cannot be ignored in Nigeria’s electoral landscape.
On his personal stance, the lawmaker affirmed his strong ties with President Tinubu, stressing that the incumbent remains his preferred choice for 2027.
“I believe I cannot see anything that will stop him from winning the elections in 2027. I am a Tinubu person. I like him and he likes me. Irrespective of party affiliation, it has been a great relationship,” Jibrin said.
When asked whether this meant he would choose Tinubu over Kwankwaso, Jibrin replied: “No, I’d choose Kwankwaso and Bola Tinubu to work together, but Tinubu as president.”
Jibrin, a former Director-General of the Bola Tinubu Support Group Council before defecting to the NNPP in 2022, has in recent weeks visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, fuelling speculation of a political realignment.
He also maintained that the South should be allowed to complete its eight years in power, dismissing claims of northern marginalisation.
“The North must begin to tell itself the truth and stop working against its own leaders,” he added.
Kwankwaso, who secured 1.49 million votes in the 2023 presidential election to place fourth behind Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, remains a key figure in ongoing political coalition talks ahead of 2027.
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