Ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Minister of Defence and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said he would only consider aligning with a political party that offers him either the presidential ticket or the vice-presidential slot.
Kwankwaso said this while speaking at a Kwankwasiyya gathering at his residence in Miller Road, Kano, where he addressed ongoing political realignments ahead of the next general elections.
“At the national level, we are looking for a political party to align with. But it must be a party that will offer me either the presidential ticket or the vice-presidential slot,” Kwankwaso, who was also a former Kano State governor said.
He also dismissed speculations over a possible defection of his estranged political godson, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwankwaso dismissed the reports, describing them as unrealistic, adding “That is nothing but a dream.”
He equally criticised the political style of defection under President Bola Tinubu, saying that numerical strength within a party does not necessarily translate to electoral success.
He noted that having a large number of governors on the platform of the APC does not guarantee victory at the polls, insisting that credibility, popular support, and performance remain key determinants of electoral outcomes.
His comment however, seems to contradicts his earlier comment where he asserted that he has no price tag and thus cannot be bought for pecuniary gains.
Kwankwaso had said this while speaking on recent political developments, where he reflected on loyalty, betrayal and the state of Nigerian politics, particularly in Kano State.
According to him, politics was about gains and losses, but warned that betrayal often attracts public resentment, especially at a time when many Nigerians were dissatisfied with governance.
“Life is like that; one loses, another gets. Of course, he entered a system that has no exit point. First, we know that betrayal is not good. Everybody knows how that party is losing the sympathy of the people, especially with regards to insecurity and the economy,” he said.
He noted that Kano politics was different from what obtained in many parts of the country, saying the Kano electorate was politically aware and not easily swayed by inducement.
Kwnkwaso said, “Kano politics in Nigeria is different. If not in Kano, where is it that one will meet you with a money bag and go into a meeting with you that they will give you things?”
Dismissing the popular notion that all politicians could be bought, he said those searching for someone without a price tag should look in his direction.
“People used to say in Nigeria that everyone has a price tag. If you are looking for who has no price tag, come to Rabiu Kwankwaso,” he said.
He said that if his interest was money, he could easily have place a value on himself, but that nobody could approach him with the intention of buying his conscience.
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