The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has boxed himself into a difficult political corner as the 2027 general election approaches.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Keyamo said Kwankwaso’s hesitation in accepting earlier overtures from the All Progressives Congress had narrowed his options, leaving him with few realistic pathways to pursue his long-held presidential ambition.
Keyamo said major political parties were unlikely to offer Kwankwaso a presidential ticket in 2027, arguing that both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party were expected to zone their tickets to the South. He added that the African Democratic Congress was effectively Atiku Abubakar’s platform to lose.
He described the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Kwankwaso’s current platform, as weak and increasingly fragile, noting recent defections, including that of the Kano State governor. According to him, the party’s grip on Kano ahead of 2027 is uncertain.
Keyamo argued that Kwankwaso would be unwilling to back another northern presidential candidate in 2027, as doing so would push his own ambitions far into the future.
He said such a scenario would likely mean waiting until 2031 at the earliest, a gamble he claimed Kwankwaso would not take given his age and political calculations.
The minister said 2031 now appeared to be Kwankwaso’s most realistic presidential window, but warned that decisions taken in 2027 would determine whether that ambition remains viable.
Keyamo outlined three possible alliance options for Kwankwaso: the PDP, the APC or the Labour Party, stressing that each came with major constraints.
He said returning to the PDP could involve rebuilding its structure in Kano but would require Kwankwaso to shelve his 2027 ambition due to zoning. Joining the APC, he added, would also mean deferring presidential hopes, as the party was no longer dependent on Kwankwaso’s influence in Kano.
On the Labour Party, Keyamo said the option was even narrower, arguing that Kwankwaso would neither accept nor receive support to run as a vice-presidential candidate.
Keyamo concluded that Kwankwaso was at a critical crossroads, warning that failure to secure a strategic alliance could reduce him to a regional figure with limited influence beyond Kano.
