Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) against assuming that control of more than 30 states will guarantee victory in the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso made the statement on Thursday in Port Harcourt during an NDC town hall meeting with voters, where he appeared alongside the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The former Kano State governor pointed to the 2015 presidential election as evidence that controlling several state governments does not automatically translate into victory at the federal level.
In 2015, Goodluck Jonathan contested for a second term as president under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which controlled about 20 states before the election. However, Jonathan lost to Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
According to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Jonathan won 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while Buhari secured 21 states. Eleven of the states won by Buhari were controlled by the PDP at the time.
Using the election as a warning to those relying heavily on political structures, Kwankwaso said the number of governors controlled by a political party should not be mistaken for guaranteed electoral success.
“Jonathan was the sitting president and he lost the election. Those who think that because they have over 30 governors they cannot lose are making a very big mistake,” he said.
The APC currently controls about 31 states, giving the ruling party a significant political structure ahead of the 2027 election. Tinubu, who defeated Peter Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election, is seeking another term in office.
Kwankwaso, however, argued that political control at the state level would not necessarily determine how Nigerians vote at the presidential poll.
He also criticised the performance of some governors, particularly in northern Nigeria, claiming that their records in office could make campaigning difficult for them ahead of 2027.
“The trend is that those governors and their parties have performed woefully. It is difficult for many of them to even come out and campaign because, from top to bottom, they did absolutely nothing,” he stated.
Kwankwaso further called on Nigerians to make what he described as the right political choice, warning that another electoral mistake could have serious consequences.
“This is the time to get it right,” he said, adding that Nigerians would regret making the wrong decision because “it will be too costly for the people and the country.”
With the 2027 election already shaping up as a major political contest, Kwankwaso’s remarks add another layer to the growing battle over whether the APC’s expanding political structure can withstand opposition pressure at the polls.
