- Keyamo said Kwankwaso’s calculations rule out supporting a northern presidential candidate
- The minister identified 2031 as Kwankwaso’s most realistic window for the presidency
- The decisions he makes now could either retire him from national politics or revive his presidential ambitions
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has described former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as being “boxed into one of the tightest corners” of his political career, following what he called Kwankwaso’s refusal to embrace an earlier political overture from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement released on Sunday, Eko Hot Blog gathered that Keyamo said he has long admired Kwankwaso but argued that recent developments have left the former governor with limited options ahead of the 2027 general election.
EDITOR’S PICK
- ADC Requests INEC Postpone FCT Area Council Elections
- Tope Alabi Welcomes Grandchild
- CBN to Introduce New Policy to Regulate Debit Card Issuance, ATM Operations
“Kwankwaso wants to be President, but none of the major parties appear likely to pick him as a candidate in 2027,” the minister said. He added that the APC and PDP are focused on southern candidates, while the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) is effectively “Atiku’s party to lose.”
Keyamo further noted that the NNPP, despite being Kwankwaso’s political base, remains largely a one-state party. “With the recent wave of defections, including key figures leaving the NNPP, it is doubtful whether the party can maintain its grip on Kano in 2027,” he said.
On the question of alliances, Keyamo said Kwankwaso’s calculations rule out supporting a northern presidential candidate, as doing so would delay his own presidential ambitions by potentially 16 years. “By 2031, he will be 86 years old. That’s a gamble he will not take,” Keyamo added, stressing that any cooperation with Atiku or other northern candidates is off the table.
The minister identified 2031 as Kwankwaso’s most realistic window for the presidency but warned that the alliances he forms in 2027 will be decisive for that ambition. “If his influence in Kano weakens in 2027, it will reduce his bargaining power with major parties in 2031,” he said.
The minister said that Kwankwaso is at a career-defining political juncture. “The decisions he makes now could either retire him from national politics or revive his presidential ambitions. Without a handshake with a major party, he risks remaining a local figure in Kano whose influence may soon diminish,” Keyamo warned.
FURTHER READING
