2027: Obi’s running mate choice could hurt Kwankwaso’s 2031 ambition, APC chieftain warns

By Musa Baba Adamu

An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Goriola Yakub, has cautioned former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso against joining Peter Obi’s presidential ticket, warning that the move could undermine his ambition to contest the presidency in 2031.
Yakub, who spoke in an interview with Trust TV, monitored in Abuja, described Kwankwaso’s decision to become Obi’s running mate under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a potentially costly political calculation.
According to him, Kwankwaso had previously ruled out serving as Obi’s running mate during the 2023 election cycle, insisting at the time that he was either interested in leading a presidential ticket or serving as vice president.
The APC chieftain argued that Kwankwaso’s latest decision could weaken his political standing ahead of the 2031 presidential contest rather than strengthen his prospects.
“I want to tell you something: it could turn out to be Kwankwaso’s worst political move if he thinks that this would help his 2031,” Yakub said.
He further questioned the ability of the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket to make significant inroads into Northern Nigeria, arguing that Obi lacks a strong political pathway in the region.
Yakub maintained that Kwankwaso’s own political performance in the North should raise questions about his ability to deliver the region to Obi.
“Kwankwaso knows Peter Obi and there is no pathway for Obi in the North,” he said, adding that if Kwankwaso could not secure the North while heading his own presidential ticket, it would be difficult for him to deliver the region to Obi as a running mate.
Kwankwaso, a former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), recently moved to the NDC, where he emerged as Obi’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.