A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Director of Finance at Hadejia Jama’are River Basin, Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso as self-centred politicians with no real political influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking to journalists in Kano, Illiyasu dismissed the trio’s political relevance, stating that their coalition lacks the capacity to make any meaningful impact in the next election cycle.
“Let’s take them one by one. Look at Kwankwaso—what has he got to offer? He always hides behind the success of others to remain relevant. Just see what he is doing to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State,” he said.
He accused Kwankwaso of prioritizing his personal interests over the welfare of his supporters.
“It is well known that Kwankwaso aligns himself with people in power to enrich himself. That is exactly what he is doing with President Tinubu—sneaking into the Presidency regularly for personal gain, not for the good of others,” Illiyasu alleged.
He advised Kwankwaso’s supporters to be cautious, insisting that the former NNPP presidential candidate only fights for his own interests.
Speaking on Atiku Abubakar, Illiyasu questioned the former vice president’s commitment to good governance, noting that many of his allies were part of the Buhari administration, which he described as a failure.
“Nigerians are wondering if Atiku truly believes in good governance when he is surrounded by politicians who supported Buhari’s eight years of maladministration, insecurity, and human rights violations,” he remarked.
Illiyasu further argued that both Atiku and Kwankwaso no longer have viable political platforms.
“The PDP is in a perpetual crisis, and Atiku does not control the party. Kwankwaso, on the other hand, has lost control of the NNPP after the court ruled in favour of the faction with the ‘fruits’ logo. So where do they stand politically?”
On El-Rufai, Illiyasu dismissed the former Kaduna Governor as a political nomad with no solid footing.
“El-Rufai is nothing but a wanderer, jumping from pillar to post. How does he expect to achieve anything by joining the dead-on-arrival Social Democratic Party (SDP)?” he asked.
He urged Atiku and his allies to allow President Bola Tinubu to focus on governance, arguing that Tinubu has taken on the “thorny journey” of fixing Nigeria, and success is within reach.
Illiyasu also expressed full support for the state of emergency in Rivers State, insisting that it would be a “saving grace” for democracy.
“You will agree with me that the 27 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly are all APC members. Yet, in his wisdom, the President has taken the best action to save the state and our democracy,” he said.
