Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) that its reliance on its control of more than 30 states as a guarantee of victory in the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, also alleged that some governors, particularly in Northern Nigeria, were reluctant to openly campaign for the APC because of what he described as their poor performance in office.
He made the claims on Thursday while speaking at an NDC Town Hall Meeting in Rivers State.
According to him, the number of governors controlled by a political party does not automatically translate into electoral victory, urging the APC and its supporters not to repeat what he described as a major political mistake.
“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.
Mr Kwankwaso did not identify the particular election he was referring to in the excerpt, but said previous electoral contests had demonstrated that an incumbent administration could lose despite enjoying significant control at the state level.
He further predicted that some governors, especially those in the North, could face difficulties campaigning for their parties in 2027 because of dissatisfaction with their performance.
“By the grace of God, all of them, especially the ones in the North, because I studied the trend. The trend is those governors and their party have performed woefully to the extent that it is very difficult for them even to come out and campaign,” he said.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate also questioned how governments at the federal and state levels had managed increased revenues, arguing that the higher allocations had not translated into corresponding improvements in the living conditions of Nigerians.
He recalled that when he served as governor in 1999, states and local governments received significantly smaller allocations.
“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.
Kwankwaso argued that the alleged disconnect between increased government revenues and the quality of life of citizens was contributing to growing public frustration.
He said the situation was particularly concerning in Northern Nigeria, where insecurity remained a major challenge.
“And people are very angry. And this anger is bad, and worse is the issue of insecurity, especially in northern Nigeria,” he said.
The former Kano governor’s remarks come as political parties and their prospective candidates begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, with control of state governments expected to play a major role in mobilisation and electoral strategy.
However, Mr Kwankwaso argued that political control of states alone would not be enough to determine the outcome of the presidential election, suggesting that voters’ assessment of government performance could become a decisive factor.
His comments also put the spotlight on the political vulnerability of incumbent governors, particularly in the North, where security, economic hardship and access to basic services are likely to feature prominently in the 2027 campaign.