Rabiu Kwankwaso, Vice Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned political parties against assuming that controlling more than 30 states would guarantee victory in the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso, a former Kano governor, gave the warning on Thursday at an NDC town hall meeting in Rivers.
He said electoral victory depended largely on the performance of governments and voters’ willingness to support them.
“The sitting president lost the election. I’m giving you an example, especially those who think because they have over 30 governors, they cannot lose the election.
“That is a very big mistake,” he said, referring to the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
Kwankwaso also criticised the performance of some governors, particularly in the North, saying their records could make it difficult for them to campaign for their parties.
“Those governors and their party have performed woefully to the extent that it is very difficult for them even to come out and campaign,” he said.
He also questioned the impact of increased government revenue on citizens, recalling that states and local governments received about N4 billion each when he served as governor in 1999.
“Now, in one year, we have seen it on social media that our government collected over N1.11 trillion, just less than one year.
“You go around, what have you done with that money? Close to nothing,” he said.
The former governor said poor governance had heightened public anger, particularly in the North, where insecurity remained a major concern ahead of the 2027 elections.
