APC Wooing Kwankwaso To Regain Relevance In Kano - Sharada Alleges

An ally of the chieftain of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Yusuf Sharada, has asserted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is making strategic moves to woo the former Governor into joining forces with President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

All Facts News reports that Sharada, a National Coordinator of Project Save Nigeria and a loyalist of Kwankwaso, made the disclosure on Tuesday while appearing as a Guest on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily.

He noted that the APC is fast losing popularity in Kano, a key electoral battleground with one of the highest voter populations in Nigeria.

He said the party is now turning its attention to Kwankwaso, banking on his influence and the strength of his political movement, Kwankwasiyya.

"They have been wooing Senator Kwankwaso to join them in the APC, knowing his antecedents and his mass followership," Sharada said.

"Senator Kwankwaso stayed away from the APC because he is not in tandem with what they are doing as a government. Politics is about numbers, and they know he has the numbers, especially in Kano and the core North-West."

Sharada also suggested that the recent resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje as APC National Chairman may be linked to the party's broader strategy to draw Kwankwaso back into the fold.

"Maybe the APC has perfected their plans. They are looking for the numbers because of their anti-masses policies; the masses of Nigeria are no longer with them," he stated.

"So they now want someone that the masses of this country have hope in to join them."

Speaking further, Sharada stressed that Kwankwaso's followers, renowned for their intense loyalty, are ready to align with any party the former Kano governor supports in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

"One thing that people should understand about the followers of Senator Kwankwaso is that they value him more than any platform or party that he is in because of his antecedents and the way he impacted so many lives in that part of the country.

"So, people listen to his opinion; they are waiting for him to give directives for them to follow," Sharada said.
Why Kano Is So Important
All Facts News reports that Kano has long been a key player in Nigerian elections, especially the presidential election, due to its high voter turnout.

In the 2023 elections, Kano State alone delivered over 1.7 million votes.

Kwankwaso, who was the flagbearer for the NNPP, garnered 997,279 votes, winning 38 out of 44 local government areas in the state.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu of the APC came second in Kano with 517,341 votes, followed by PDP's Atiku Abubakar (131,716) and Labour Party's Peter Obi (28,513).